Nick Goepper is lone American on podium in slopestyle four years after U.S. domination

The American men knew it wasn’t going to be easy this time.

Four years ago, they dominated the Olympic ski slopestyle, finishing in the top three spots. But key injuries and some new faces figured to level the field at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

“There are so many countries so competitive and so good in slopestyle,” Gus Kenworthy, the defending silver medalist, said.

That international talent showed up at Phoenix Snow Park on Sunday afternoon as Oystein Braaten of Norway took the gold and Alex Beaulieu-Marchand of Canada won bronze.

The lone U.S. representative on the podium was Nick Goepper, who needed a dazzling final run to secure the silver. At the very least, Goepper achieved his goal of improving on the bronze he won at the 2014 Sochi Games.

“I was thinking, this is it, this is my final chance,” he said. “I’m at my second Olymipcs. I want a medal.”

The sport of slopestyle has skiers navigating their way downhill through a series of obstacles and jumps. Judges watch for how they slide and twist on rails and flip through the air.

As Kenworthy noted, the rest of the world has had four more years to catch up since ski slopestyle made its Olympic debut in Sochi.

The American squad also competed in Pyeongchang in less-than-optimum health.

The 2014 gold medalist, Joss Christensen, didn’t even make the team as he battled to recover from ACL surgery. Kenworthy broke his thumb during practice last week.

By the time Saturday’s final began, the four-man American squad was cut in half as Olympic rookies McRae Williams – the defending world champion – and Alex Hall failed to advance past qualifying.

Braaten wasted little time in showing that he would contend for the gold, starting with a run of 95.00 and forcing everyone else in the field to chase.

British skier James Woods, who won bronze in the last world championships, came close with a 91.00 on his second run. Beaulieu-Marchand then put up a 92.4.

In the meantime, Kenworthy struggled. Coming into the competition, there had been some question about whether he might be distracted with all the media attention he had received since coming out as a gay athlete after Sochi.

“I’ve always been someone that’s had to compartmentalize my life because I was in the closet and I’ve always had fear of outing myself,” he said last week when asked about distractions. “I always had so much going on in my mind.”

Whatever the reason, he fell on his first two runs. Goepper fared only slightly better.

The Indiana native had faced some challenges of his own since 2014, dealing with what he described as mental health issues. He sounded upbeat in South Korea, saying: “I’m deeply in love with the sport and what it’s done for my life.”

Goepper put together a complete second run, but lingered in the middle of the pack. If anyone was going to knock off Braaten, it would have to be on the final try.

Woods came up short and Kenworthy couldn’t really mount a challenge, losing his balance. As his score of 32.00 flashed across the jumbo screen, he shrugged and said, ‘It’s OK.”

The U.S. team finally enjoyed a bright spot as Goepper came through on his last attempt, sliding and spinning his way down the hill, throwing his arms in the air when he landed the final jump that would score 93.60.

“I knew that caliber of run would put me up there in the top three,” he said.

It was the best the Americans could manage on this day.

david.wharton@latimes.com

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