By Giulia Segreti and Lisa Richwine
LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb 3 (Reuters) - American Chloe Kim will aim for a third straight halfpipe gold medal as the Olympic snowboarding competitions begin on Thursday, promising breathtaking tricks and intense racing in the northern Italian town of Livigno.
Snowboarders at the Milano Cortina Games will compete in 11 medal events across the freestyle disciplines of halfpipe, slopestyle and big air followed by the racing contests of snowboard cross and parallel giant slalom.
Earlier concerns about snow conditions on the slopes have dissipated. Livigno, which stands at an elevation of more than 1,800 metres in the Alps, was white-capped on Tuesday as workers finished preparations ahead of races.
"We finally have a lot of snow and overall the venues are looking good," Uwe Beier, director for snowboard alpine and snowboard cross for the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), told Reuters.
Freestyle competition will centre on high-flying tricks in the halfpipe and big air, with established performers expected to steal the show next to new talent, all on Livigno's revamped slopes.
Kim, 25, could become the first snowboarder to win three consecutive gold medals in the women's halfpipe, which features riders sliding across a 22-foot-tall, U-shaped ramp and performing acrobatic tricks in the air.
She was a heavy favourite before a recent shoulder injury disrupted her training.
Two other women also have the chance to earn their third straight gold medals, big air Austrian Anna Gasser and dual-discipline Olympic champion Ester Ledecka in the parallel giant slalom.
New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski‑Synnott, the first woman to land a triple cork in a slopestyle contest, will aim for her second gold after her triumph in Beijing.
On the men's side, Australian Scotty James is a top halfpipe contender, alongside triple‑cork innovator and 2022 Olympic champion Ayumu Hirano of Japan.
In the racing events, Canadian powerhouse Eliot Grondin, who dominated the recent snowboard cross World Cup circuit, is the man to beat. He faces stiff competition from reigning Olympic champion Alessandro Haemmerle, from Austria.
Thirteen nations were represented on World Cup podiums at events this season, reflecting an increase in diversity.
"The biggest thing we've seen this season is the number of nations producing athletes that are in the mix at the top level," FIS Park & Pipe Contest Director Roby Moresi said.
Host country Italy has assembled a 17-strong snowboard team led by Olympic medallists Michela Moioli and Omar Visintin who will be banking on home advantage.
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti and Lisa Richwine, editing by Toby Davis)
