Japan's Kokomo Murase celebrates on the podium after winning gold in the women's World Cup slopestyle snowboard event in Calgary, Alberta,, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. (Evan Buhler/The Canadian Press via AP)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese 17-year-old Kokomo Murase put in a near-perfect first run to win her maiden women's snowboard slopestyle title at the World Cup round held in Calgary on Saturday.

       Murase scored 77.58 points and added to her Big Air World Cup win in Chur, Switzerland, in October with a first run that featured back-to-back 720s, while her compatriot Miyabi Onitsuka earned second with 77.18 points.

       Olympic silver medalist and reigning world champion Laurie Blouin of Canada finished third on 75.73.

       "It was a really difficult course and I was anxious but I'm glad I won my first slopestyle title," Murase said.

       In the men's slopestyle event won by Canada's Sebastien Toutant, Japan's best result came from Ryoma Kimata who finished eighth.

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