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Aspen (AP) - When the great snowboard star Shaun White left the Aspen halfpipe defeated, the young André Höflich was allowed to stay there - after all, the award ceremony was still due for the Allgäu.

The 23-year-old finished third after a famous competition on Sunday evening and achieved a World Cup podium for the first time in his career.

He even left the three-time Olympic champion and scene hero from the USA in fourth place.

"To beat Shaun White is a huge honor for me, I feel really good," said Höflich, still completely perplexed by his great success.

German snowboarders had to wait eleven years for a World Cup podium in the supreme discipline.

A good week after the World Cup in the same halfpipe, when Höflich still made a mistake, the athlete from Kempten showed spectacular flight inserts and spotless tricks.

Only the currently outstanding world champion Yuto Totsuka from Japan and his compatriot Raibu Katayama in second place were even better.

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Full of self-confidence and with the heavy metal of the Canadian band Skull Fist on his ear, Höflich rocked the halfpipe, especially his special flight insert right at the beginning worked perfectly.

"There is a lot of self-confidence that I can beat people like Shaun White," said Höflich to the German press agency.

And he recalled that the US veteran had not always fallen in his three runs, but had brought the last attempt down without a major mistake.

But Höflich's tricks were simply better than those of White, who had already won Olympic gold in 2006 when the German was just eight years old.

In White's final attempt, "I was more nervous than I have often been in my life," said Höflich.

But he was redeemed, the 34-year-old did not come close to his own rating.

«I've never felt better than at that moment.

I have all the beautiful feelings inside me that you can imagine, »said the German.

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Previously, two fourth places had been the Allgäu's best World Cup results - including at the prestigious Laax Open in January.

Because there were only two World Cups this Corona winter, Höflich finished second in the overall standings behind the two-time winner Totsuka.

And he's far from full.

Eleven years had passed from Christophe Schmidt's last German halfpipe podium in La Molina in 2010 - of course, Höflich does not want to wait that long until the next success.

"Now I'm all the more looking forward to the Olympic season," he announced.

"I give everything in spring and summer to keep the momentum going."

In Beijing 2022 he is one of the candidates for precious metal in this constitution.

National coach Michael Dammert trusts his protégé to win and medals "in any case", as he said at the beginning of the season.

He doesn't really want to put too much pressure on the youngster, because Höflich “can still be at the forefront at the next Olympic Games in five years”, explained the coach.

"The strategy is to build it up in the long term beyond 2022."

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German snowboarders could still have a lot of fun with Polite - because anyone who beats Shaun White can do anything.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210322-99-918066 / 2

Result

Portrait politely on F sharp side

German halfpipe podiums in the World Cup