BEIJING, China — Despite an overall impressive showing, Red Gerard will leave China without a second career Olympic medal.
Gerard finished fifth in Tuesday's men's big air final at the Beijing Olympics, mirroring his performance in 2018 in PyeongChang. The Rocky River native turned in a pair of impressive runs, but was passed by two later competitors in the last round.
Watch his fifth-place run HERE.
Gerard entered the finals in prime position to contend for the podium after qualifying third, and began the afternoon with a score of 82.50 to put himself sixth in the initial standings. However, the 21-year-old just missed sticking the landing on his second turn down the slope, meaning he needed something big in his third to have any shot at a medal.
He got just that, throwing down a clean switch backside 1620 to earn an 83.25. That gave him a combined top score of 165.75, putting him in third place with just a few riders left and making a bronze medal a real possibility.
Japan's Hiroaki Kunitake's final run hauled in an 84.00, giving him a total score of 166.25 and edging him into third by a mere half-point. Moments later, Canadian Max Parrott followed up his second-round 94.00 with a final-round 76.25, taking the bronze and leaving Gerard well behind.
Norway's Mons Roisland got silver with a 171.75, while China's Su Yiming dominated with a 182.50 on his home course to win the gold.
Gerard, who now lives in Colorado, finished fourth in men's slopestyle last week. He won gold in the same event four years ago at the age of just 17.
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