First there was wind.
Then came the flu.
But after fighting off a disappointing fall in the slopestyle competition, and illness last week, Julia Marino is close to her longtime dream: an Olympic medal.
The Westport snowboarder was 2nd after her first big air run yesterday, then finished 9th overall in qualifying competition. That earned her one of 12 spots in Thursday’s final.
Julia’s jumps — shown around the world — were preceded a day earlier by a special NBC report on her long friendship with Chaihyun Kim. Their journey together began at Long Lots Elementary School, and ended in South Korea.
Click here to see that heartwarming report.
A screengrab from the NBC report shows Julia Marino and Chai Kim reuniting at the Seoul airport.
(Hat tip: Sharon and John Miller)