A Spectacular Finale from Iouri Podladtchikov with Zalando
Snowboarding Olympic gold medalist Iouri Podladtchikov returned to the halfpipe for one last international performance today with «The Last Run»
Following the postponement of «The Last Run» three days ago due to uncertain weather conditions, Iouri Podladtchikov finally put on his long-awaited performance this evening in the «big beast of Laax» – at 200 meters, the world’s longest halfpipe. Just like a musician putting heart and soul into their final encore, Podladtchikov also made sure to finish on a high note. Following his unexpected retirement from professional sport last August, Zalando – Europe’s leading online platform for fashion and lifestyle – wanted to make sure the Olympic gold medalist had a finale to remember. His snowboarding career has now been brought to an unforgettable conclusion.
«The Last Run» started at 8 p.m. this evening on youtube.com/zalando. The evening began with a series of emotional virtual messages for Iouri: his mother sent her love, Dario Cologna talked about the time they spent together between the Swiss International School and Sports Academy and their Olympic victories in Sochi in 2014, and snowboard professional Pat Burgener said Iouri had been his «biggest inspiration». Accompanied by dozens of LED lights in rainbow colors – just the way Iouri had wanted to set the scene – he stepped onto his board ready for «The Last Run».
The two-time World Champion, four-time X Games medalist, and Olympic champion dropped into the halfpipe and put on a final performance to remember. Backside Air to Indy, Frontside 720, Cab Double Cork 1080, Alley-Oop Backside Rodeo Nose Grab: these were the tricks that Podladtchikov once again performed in spectacular fashion against the backdrop of the night sky of Laax to the delight of the livestream viewers. «Somehow I was just as excited and nervous as in times past. I completely underestimated it and didn’t expect it to be like this, but in retrospect it’s even nicer to be able to end my career with this last run,» Iouri said immediately afterwards.
After the run, Iouri was welcomed by Gian Simmen, the first halfpipe Olympic medalist in the history of snowboarding. Simmen has supported Podladtchikov since his childhood, and even taught him the boardslide on the skateboard as a small boy. The two snowboarding legends reviewed this final performance, looked back over an outstanding sporting career, and talked about the 32-year-old’s plans for the future.
For his final run, Podladtchikov was dressed in an outfit from outdoor brand Columbia, which he put together from the Zalando range. The blue jacket with neon green zippers was modified by Iouri himself, who added a special pink screen-printed design. The edition number was written on the bottom right at the front, and his signature on the other side. Commenting on his choice of color, Iouri said: «Pink because I was thinking of cotton candy, feelings of happiness, freedom, everything I’m dreaming about right now.»
Iouri wore jacket number 1/30 for the run, and the other 29 in this special edition, modified by Iouri himself, will be given away on Zalando Switzerland’s Facebook page in a prize draw running until the end of next week. Anyone who lives in Switzerland can enter by leaving a farewell message for Iouri in the comments.
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About Iouri Podladtchikov
Iouri Podladtchikov was born on 13 September 1988 in Moscow. Four years later his father’s job took the family first to Sweden and then to the Netherlands, before they settled in Switzerland in 1996. His parents had originally met while studying mathematics, and initially thought little of Iouri’s Olympic ambitions. He competed for Russia in 2006, before going on to represent Switzerland in 2010 and 2014. Following his Olympic win in Sochi in 2014, Iouri enrolled at the University of Zurich to study art history and photography. During the following years a series of injuries meant he persevered with his studies, registering for the Creative Practices Program at the International Center of Photography in New York in 2019. Following his return from New York, he announced his retirement from professional sport in August 2020 to focus on his books and exhibitions in Basel, Bern and Berlin.
About Zalando
Zalando is Europe’s leading online platform for fashion and lifestyle. Founded in Berlin in 2008, we bring head-to-toe fashion to around 35 million active customers in 17 markets, offering clothing, footwear, accessories and beauty products. The assortment of international brands ranges from world-famous names to local labels. Our platform is a one-stop fashion destination for inspiration, innovation and interaction. As Europe’s most fashionable tech company, we work hard to find digital solutions for every aspect of the fashion journey: for our customers, partners and every valuable player in the Zalando story. Our goal is to become the starting point for fashion and a sustainable platform with a net positive impact on people and the planet.
