South Korea's 16-year-old Lee Chae-un claimed a remarkable victory in the men's halfpipe snowboard in Bakuriani ©Getty Images

China's Cai Xuetong earned gold in the women's halfpipe snowboard for the third time at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Freestyle Ski, Snowboard and Freeski World Championships in Bakuriani, while South Korea's Lee Chae-un became South Korea's first-ever snowboard world champion in the men's event.

Cai, whose last gold medal at the World Championships came in 2017, delivered an unbeatable first run in the final on the Bakuriani halfpipe course in the Georgian resort.

She began with a huge frontside 900 tuck knee, following it with a backside 540 weddle and air-to-fakie melon into a switch frontside 720 tail grab.

An alley-oop backside rodeo 540 melon concluded her first run, and ensured Cai finished with 90.50 points.

Elizabeth Hosking became the first Canadian woman to win a halfpipe World Championships medal with 85.50 from her first run, while Wednesday's (March 1) top qualifier Mitsuki Ono of Japan scored 83.00 to place third.

In the men's halfpipe, junior world champion Lee became his country's first-ever snowboarder to become world champion at the age of 16.

He delivered a stunning 93.50 third run to edge out Australia's Valentino Guseli by just 0.50 points.

Olympic bronze medallist Jan Scherrer of Switzerland earned the same result at the World Championships with an 89.25.

Freeski big air qualification also took place today at the World Championships.

Canada's Noah Porter MacLennan and Austria's Lukas Müllauer topped the scoring in the men's with 96.40 and were among the 10 athletes who progressed to the final, while Kirsty Muir of Britain led the way in the women's with 93.80.

The freeski halfpipe finals are due to be held on the penultimate day of the World Championships tomorrow.