Dalmeny teenager Valentino Guseli is gearing up for an historic tilt at Winter Olympics gold in Beijing next month.
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The 16-year-old was named as part of an 11-person snowboarding team on January 23 and will line up alongside PyeongChang 2018 medallists Scotty James and Jarryd Hughes.
Guseli will follow in the footsteps of fellow Eurobodalla Shire athlete Ben Mates who competed on the snowboard at the 2006 games in Turin and the 2010 games in Vancouver.
When Valentino starts his campaign on February 9, he will become the fifth youngest Aussie male to compete at a Winter Olympic Games.
Here's everything you need to know about Valentino's historic achievement.
What is snowboard halfpipe?
Halfpipe is a snowboarding competition where competitors ride down a 'halfpipe' and use the edges to try to perform as many tricks as they can before the bottom. The competitors are then scored by a panel of judges out of 100 on how well they performed their tricks, how difficult their run was, and how clean their run was. The Olympics half-pipe is a minimum of 150 metres in length, 19 to 22m in width, and 6.7m high. The average inclination of the halfpipe is either 17 or 18 degrees.
When can I watch?
Valentino's qualifying run will be on Wednesday, February 9, at either 3.30pm or 4.21pm depending on which qualification group he is drawn in.
If he qualifies for the final, it will be held over three runs on Friday, February 11, at 12.30pm, 12.58pm, and 1.25pm respectively.
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How can I watch?
The Beijing Winter Olympic Games will be broadcast on Channel 7, and will also be available to stream online through the 7plus website or app.
Are there other Aussies competing?
Yes. Valentino will be joined by 2018 halfpipe bronze medallist Scotty James in Beijing as part of a field of 25 snowboarders from 11 countries.
Does Valentino have a chance?
Of course he does, but he will face some very stiff competition. American Shaun White has won three of the four gold medals in the halfpipe since the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. Japenese snowboarder Ayumu Hirano won silver in 2018 with a score of 95.25, and has won the past two World Cups leading into the Olympics. Fellow Aussie Scotty James has won the World Championships three times and is a former Olympic bronze medallist. Swiss snowboarder Jan Scherrer is also a seasoned performer with two second places on the World Cup circuit this season. Valentino finished fifth at the last World Cup before the Olympics.