After a narrow miss from the qualifier lineup last year, an American professional snowboarder of Italian descent returned to clinch her throne. As the snowboarding season kicked off, the Hydro Flask US Snowboard Team halfpipe 2023-24 recently announced its opening race results. Returning to China’s secluded garden and the iconic venue of the 2022 Bejing Games, the explosive start of races saw a rival trio compete for the podium spots.

Under the spotlight of the picturesque Xiaohaituo Mountain Area, some anticipated athletes returned to the grand stage. However, among them, was the American successful in posing a victory?

Snowboarding icon delivers career-defining race.

Maddie Mastro, 2x Olympian, returned to the World Cup scene after winning a silver medal and debuting her trademark double crippler for the first time at the X Games 2023, hinting at her serious return. After the first race, @usskiteam took to their threads and posted about her with the caption, “‼️SHE’S BAACKKK‼️less than a year (!!) after a season ending crash, @maddie_mastro takes THIRD at the first halfpipe World Cup of the 2023-24 season in Beijing.”

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After being just one spot away from qualifying for last year’s Winter Olympics, Mastro competes alongside fellow Olympians Kinsley White and Zoe Kalapos. With a strong resolve to improve on her previous finish, the competition was made more intense by Team China’s dominance as Xuetong Cai took first place and Jiayu Liu finished second.

This race marked the first of the five races for the alpine skier, which puts her in a top position with room for improvement in the upcoming races. With a slim yet impactful portfolio, Mastro is now hungry for her first big win, which hangs with the anticipation for the next finishes.

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The career history so far

Mastro’s brilliant journey as a professional snowboarder started in 2016 and has been defined by victories, including two world championships, prizes from the X Games, and an appearance at the 2018 Olympics. The 23-year-old is famous for pulling off challenging tricks and setting new standards in her sport, which evolved into her being the first woman to land a double crippler in 2019.

READ MORE WATCH: US Snowboarding Medal Hope Suffers Horrific Crash in Beijing Olympics 2022 Qualifiers

With career records that include a bronze at the 2018 X Games and a win at the 2019 Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships, Mastro is aiming for her first Olympic medal. With an unwavering quest for perfection, she returns this season determined for a career-defining breakthrough at the next Toyota Grand Prix scheduled from December 13-16.