Kiwi Snowboarder Crashes Rival's Interview to Praise Him

When Lyon Farrell qualified for the Winter Olympics big air final, he didn't rush to talk about himself. Instead, the Kiwi snowboarder crashed his Australian rival's interview to heap praise on the athlete who inspired him.

Australian snowboarder Valentino Guseli had just pulled off something remarkable at the Winter Olympics. With only a last-minute entry into the event and missing three days of practice, he nailed a switchback 1980 on his third qualifying run, scoring 91.50 points and securing his spot in the final.

Farrell, who also made the final after landing seventh place, couldn't contain his excitement. He jumped into Guseli's post-qualification interview to give credit where he felt it was due.

"This was insane! I qualified somehow, but he inspired me," Farrell told the cameras. "This wouldn't have happened if he didn't stomp the switchback 19."

The moment captured something special about competition at its best. Rather than viewing Guseli as just an opponent to beat, Farrell saw him as motivation to push his own limits.

Guseli's journey to that moment makes the story even sweeter. The 20-year-old only got into the competition because another athlete withdrew. With limited practice time and earlier scores of 73.25 and 71.50, he needed his final run to count.

It did. His standout performance landed him in 12th place, just enough to qualify for the final featuring only the top 12 athletes worldwide.

"To be going to finals in the big air in the Olympics is amazing," Guseli said. "It's one of the best moments of my life, for sure."

Why This Inspires: In a world that often celebrates trash talk and rivalry, Farrell and Guseli remind us that competition can bring out the best in people. When athletes push each other to new heights and genuinely celebrate those achievements together, everyone wins. Their moment shows that you can compete fiercely while still rooting for the person next to you to be great.

Both snowboarders will face off in Sunday's final, but they've already given us something more valuable than any medal could represent.