Snowboarding: Hirano, Ono win 2nd straight World Cup halfpipe events

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, California (Kyodo) -- Japanese Olympians Ruka Hirano and Mitsuki Ono each racked up a second straight snowboarding World Cup halfpipe victory Saturday in the third round of the tour at California's Mammoth Mountain.

The 20-year-old Hirano took out the men's competition, while the 18-year-old Ono finished on top of the women's field, continuing their success from the previous round in Laax, Switzerland.

Hirano scored 91.50 to finish 6.25 points clear of Australia's Valentino Guseli and register his fourth career World Cup win.

Chase Blackwell of the United States rounded out the podium, while Japan's Yuto Totsuka, Kaishu Hirano and Raibu Katayama finished fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.

Following her breakthrough in Switzerland, Ono claimed her second-ever World Cup crown with a score of 90.75, finishing 4.0 points ahead of last season's overall winner, Cai Xuetong of China.

Japan's Ruki Tomita finished fourth, with her 75.00 total leaving her 7.0 points adrift of Maddie Mastro of the United States in third place.