Laurie Blouin, a Canadian snowboarder from Quebec City, faced tough conditions at the Milan Cortina Olympics, where she finished fifth in the women's slopestyle competition. The day proved difficult for competitors as changing weather conditions impacted speed on the Livigno Snow Park course, affecting their ability to execute jumps effectively. Despite this, Blouin, a two-time world champion and Olympic silver medallist, managed to land her third run after struggling through her first two, expressing relief that she completed a run despite its imperfections.

During the event, the gold medal went to Japan’s Mari Fukada, who excelled in the challenging conditions, improving her score on her final run to 87.83. Defending champion Zoi Sadowski-Synnott from New Zealand made a late push to clinch the silver medal with a score of 87.48, pushing Japan’s Kokomo Murase down to the bronze medal position with a score of 85. This event highlighted not only the skill of the riders but also the significant impact of external conditions on performance at high-stakes competitions, such as the Olympics.

Blouin's performance illustrates her resilience and ability to adapt under pressure, and she acknowledged the collective struggles of all competitors. Following her strong track record, including a slopestyle silver medal at the 2018 games and two world championship titles, expectations were high. However, the unpredictable conditions served as a reminder of the sport's challenges, and Blouin remains focused on future competitions and improving her runs under varying circumstances.