Kiwi snowboard star Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has lost her slopestyle world crown in dramatic circumstances, pipped by Brit Mia Brookes on the penultimate run of the competition at Bakuriani, Georgia.
The Olympic champion had previously won the title in Utah 2019 and at Aspen 2021, and was top qualifier for this year's final, giving her the advantage of the last attempt.
Sadowski-Synnott's first of two routines scored 88.78, which held as the leading performance, until teenager Brookes made history, with the first cab double cork 1440 in women's competition, to score 91.38 and edge past.
The Kiwi could not match that with her second run, settling for silver, with Japanese Miyabi Onitsuka third.
"Winning a medal here means a lot to me," said Sadowski-Synnott. "It's my last slopestyle competition of the season and it's sick to land my run.
"Of course, I wanted to try and back up the world champion title, but I did everything I could and I am so stoked for Mia.
"Mia is leading snowboarding competition at the moment, especially on the jumps. She is competing on the World Cup circuit and pushing all of us girls to ride our best."
Appointed a Member of the NZ Order of Merit in New Year Honours, Sadowski-Synnott has had a successful campaign over the NZ summer, defending her X Games slopestyle crown at Aspen.
She was also named NZ Sportswoman of the Year and took out Supreme Honours at this month's Halberg Awards.
