Some riders watch their rivals closely, taking mental notes. Others pretend not to watch, but definitely do. Broadly speaking, there are two ways to approach these all-in sessions: you can hold your cards close to your chest, and refuse to give away the tricks you’ve been working on … or you lay them down and confidently show everyone your hand.
Guseli, 20, tends to fall into the latter camp.
“I don’t believe in it,” he said.
“I think just do your tricks and don’t really worry about that, the petty little stuff. Just shred. If something’s on, it’s on. Go for it.”
Lights, camera, action: Scotty James.Credit: Getty Images
Then again: “I know some people do [it differently]. I guess I kind of did it last night: not really do the big stuff until it’s comp time. Take it easy, warm up, really feel out whatever you’re riding, whether it’s a jump or the pipe, and then just let it rip in your comp runs. Sometimes that feels like a better strategy than to do your stuff in training, but it really depends.”
Guseli was referring to the backside 1980 indy he tried and failed to execute in the men’s big air final, the night before he spoke to this masthead. He knew he had to pull out something special to get near the podium, like he did in qualifying. He rolled the dice, and failed, but at least he had a crack.
“You’ve got to be calculated. If I could have got onto the podium with anything less, I would have done it,” he said.
Japan’s defending champion Ayumu Hirano.Credit: AP
“Even if I landed that one, I wouldn’t have won; I would have got second or something. But that was sort of a gamble I had to take. I wasn’t going to do an easier trick and get fourth and be happy with it, because I always would have been thinking: ‘What if I sent this bigger trick got a medal?’
“I learned a pretty cool lesson: I was that close to getting on a big air Olympic podium, and big air has been my worst discipline in the last few years. If I’m at that level now with my riding, then it makes me think that I’m not so far off. If I just put some more work in, I can get myself exactly where I need to be, which is at the forefront of the progression of the tricks.”
The in-competition dynamics are fascinating; blackjack-esque. Competitors have to make another series of calculations: How hard do you go, and when? It all hinges on context, including the particular format involved.
In the men’s halfpipe final, each rider will get three runs, in which they will have to lay down their best five-trick combination. Guseli knows he is going to have to bring his best gear to challenge the likes of friend, rival and Australian teammate, Scotty James, the hot favourite for gold, plus a quartet of skilful Japanese riders led by defending Olympic champion Ayumu Hirano.
But when should he bring it? In his first run? Or is it better to start conservatively, go with moves he knows he can confidently land, and see how the others approach the table? Australia’s Tess Coady tried to go large early in the women’s big air final, but it didn’t work, and it rattled her confidence.
“It depends on the night – or the day, or whenever you compete. It really depends,” Guseli said.
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“For example, the last halfpipe competition I competed in, I ended up in third, but my run was like, not that good. It was a challenging night for a lot of people. I did my safety run, and that ended up holding and keeping me on the podium the whole time – and I’m happy that I did that. I got that spot off my first run, and then I didn’t end up getting my second run, which would have put me a bit higher. A lot of people sent crazy stuff but didn’t end up landing it, and I ended up in a decent position still.”
That probably won’t work out at these Olympics.
“I think it’s always cooler to send it, and go all in, and really go for it,” Guseli said.
Time to push all his chips in and bet on himself.
The Winter Olympic Games is broadcast on the 9Network, 9Now and Stan Sport.
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