Livigno: To the untrained eye, Olympic halfpipe snowboarding looks like a bunch of scraggly-haired teenagers – plus a few adults who refused to grow up and get a real job – taking turns throwing themselves into a frozen concrete ditch.
Look closer, and you might see a fascinating game of high-stakes poker.
Valentino Guseli in qualifying.Credit: AP
There’s a lot going on; layers upon layers of scheming, risk and sleight of hand that determine who wins the jackpot, and who goes home with turned-out pockets.
“Strategy is massive,” according to Valentino Guseli, who is an outside chance of a medal tonight.
“It’s definitely like gambling. But we’re gambling with quite a lot. We’re gambling with our bodies … even trying a new trick can be a gamble. There can be wishful thinking, where you want to try this new trick, but you might not be ready for it. You try it, you get broken off, and it’s over.”
A busted flush, in other words.
Read more about the risks Guseli has to take to win a medal tonight.
