![Valentino Guseli took silver in the men's halfpipe at the world snowboard championships in Georgia. (AP PHOTO) Valentino Guseli took silver in the men's halfpipe at the world snowboard championships in Georgia. (AP PHOTO)](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/f6aa30d3-0f01-4c04-9288-c88c1eb1a28d.jpg/r0_0_800_600_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Australian prodigy Valentino Guseli has clinched silver in the halfpipe at the world snowboarding championships in Bakuriani, pipped by another teenager for gold.
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The 17-year-old was beaten for top spot by 16-year-old Chaeun Lee by just 0.50 points.
The South Korean becomes the youngest ever men's snowboard world champion.
Australian veteran Scotty James, who won silver at last year's Beijing Olympics, finished fifth while Swiss Jan Scherrer, who won Olympic bronze, collected the same on Friday.
James was leading going into the final run, scoring 86.50 for his second run but both Guseli, who placed fifth in Beijing, and Lee saved their best for last.
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Guseli scored 93.00 on his final run only for Lee to best him with a 93.50 to take the gold medal.
His medal was the fifth won by Australia at the Georgian resort, following 20-year-old Josie Baff's silver in the snowboard cross.
Aerial skier Danielle Scott's claimed silver while Matt Graham's also finished second in the individual moguls and bronze in the dual moguls.
Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Tess Coady finished just off the podium, placing fourth in the snowboard slopestyle.
It capped a cracking year for Guseli, who grew up on the NSW far south coast.
He created history, becoming the first rider to podium in all three park and pipe disciplines - big air, slopestyle and halfpipe- in one season.
Three other snowboarders have managed the feat but never in the one season.
Australian Associated Press