EXPLAINER: All those flips and twists on Olympic halfpipe

By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer

ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Australian snowboarder Scotty James called the process of perfecting his signature trick akin to a right-handed person “trying to write a thesis with your left hand.” Impossible? No. Extremely difficult? Yes. That goes for pretty much any trick that will show up on the Olympic halfpipe in the women’s final Thursday and the men’s final Friday. Chloe Kim is a heavy favorite to win her second straight gold medal in the women’s contest. Three-time champion Shaun White, competing in his last contest, is an underdog. How they fare will have a lot to do with how well they perform the newest, toughest tricks in a sport that thrives on progression.