KUHTAI, Jan 15 - Tyrolean native Elisabeth GRAM has won Austria's first Gold Medal of the Innsbruck 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games in the Women's Ski Halfpipe Final on Sunday.

GRAM, who revealed she took up Freestyle Skiing at the age of 11 as a way to help cope with the death of her mother, amassed 84.75 points to win the Gold in front of a delighted crowd.

Norway's Tiril SJAASTAD CHRISTIANSEN, who skied with a cast on her right hand after breaking her thumb in training this week, still managed an impressive score of 79.25 to secure the Silver medal.

Bronze went to Marine TRIPIER MONDANCIN (FRA), who skied with great skill and style, but lacked the sheer amplitude of the other medallists, and finished with 69.50.

GRAM, a native of Fliess in the Tyrol region, looked natural and smooth on her way to the Gold as she linked a straight-edge safety with a 540, then finished with her signature hand-plant.

"It's my special trick," GRAM said of her hand-plant. "That's my trick and if I do it everyone knows, 'Yeah that's Lizzy'."

The 15 year old, who was delighted with her win, admitted her road into the sport was paved with sadness.

"When my mom died I focused on Slopestyle and last year in spring I focused on Halfpipe," GRAM said. "Skiing is like a therapy for me. I can forget all the hard things in my life and it's everything I want to do."

SJAASTAD CHRISTIANSEN watched GRAM's first run and knew she had to go "All in" if she was going to beat the talented Tyrolean.

SJAASTAD CHRISTIANSEN said the pain of her broken thumb, which is scheduled for surgery on Sunday night, disappeared when she dropped into the pipe.

Fearless despite the pipe's 6.6 m walls and steep slope, SJAASTAD CHRISTIANSEN notched the day's highest amplitude and most technical trick, set in her second run, but crashed and blew out both skis on her final trick.

She slid into the finish area clutching her hand, but recovered and stood smiling and proud moments later as she claimed her Silver medal.

"I just felt something was wrong and, boom, there I was laying in the pipe," SJAASTAD CHRISTIANSEN said.

"It sucks [to think maybe] if I landed it I would have gotten a Gold medal," she said. "But I try not to think about it."

In fourth place was Canada's Shannon GUNNING on 62.00, with Great Britain's Katie SUMMERHAYES in fifth with 55.00.

YIS tb/rm