Finals: Hudak, Riddle grab halfpipe freestyle events

JENNIFER HUDAK of the United States and Micheal Riddle of Canada won World Cup freestyle skiing halfpipe events Wednesday in Valmalenco, Italy, part of the FIS Grand Finals week in northern Italy.

    Hudak won the women's event with a score of 40.20, with Canadian duo Sarah Burke and Rosalind Groenewoud filling out the podium. Burke was second with 39.70 points, while Groenewoud scored 29.80 for third. For the season, Burke edged Hudak, 280 points to 260, for the World Cup title in halfpipe. Groenewoud finished third.
    In the men's event, Riddle scored 44.50 to edge Kalle Leinonen of Finland with 43.40, and Xavier Bertoni of France with 43.10.
    Canada’s Matthew Hayward, ninth on Wednesday, had won the two previous halfpipe events, at Les Contamines, France, and Inawashiro, Japan, and took the World Cup title in the event.