Eratuli Wins Snowboard World Cup Event

MOSCOW - Jukka Eratuli overcame a knee injury to lead Finland's 1-2 finish in a Snowboard World Cup Big Air event Sunday.

Eratuli, who torn his right knee ligament during the season opener in Klagenfurt, Austria, in December, was third after two runs in the final. But he received 25.6 points for his final jump — a switch backside 720 — for a total of 50.4 and first place.

On the board : Finland's Pekka Ruokanen jumps during Nokia Snowboard FIS World Cup 2005 stage in Moscow. (AFP/Alexander Nemenov)

Juuso Laivisto came in second with a total of 50.1 points for his best two runs.

Austria's Florian Mausser, fifth before the final run, performed a Cab 10 jump on his final attempt to collect a total of 49.9 points and finish third for his first podium place this season.

World champion Risto Mattila of Finland, the winner in Klagenfurt, skipped the event. He's in the United States, preparing for the world championships in Whistler, British Columbia, on Jan. 15-23.

Eratuli moved atop the Big Air standings with 1,260 points after two of six events. Mattila is second with 1,000, and Frederik Austbo of Norway, Laivisto and Mausser are tied for third with 800.

AP, Sun Jan 9,11:38 AM ET

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Grabner, Meuli Win Snowboarding Races

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - Siegfried Grabner of Austria won the men's World Cup snowboard parallel slalom event Friday, while Daniela Meuli led a Swiss sweep in the women's races.

Grabner, the defending World Cup champion, defeated Dejan Kosir of Slovenia in the finals for his first title this season.

Snowboarders Siegfried Grabner, left, of Austria, and Daniel Biveson, of Sweden, compete in the Men's Parallel Slalom during FIS Snowboard World Cup at St.Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Jan. 7, 2005. Grabner won the event. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

Phillip Schoch of Switzerland, the 2002 Olympic champion who leads the World Cup parallel slalom standings, was third after losing in the second semifinal run to Kosir.

Grabner had the fastest time of the day, 24.71 seconds in qualifying.

In the women's event, defending World Cup champion Meuli beat Ursula Bruhin in the final for her second parallel slalom victory of the season.

Snowboarder Daniela Meuli, of Switzerland, competes in the Women's Parallel Slalom during FIS Snowboard World Cup in St.Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Jan. 7, 2004. Meuli won the event. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

Two-time world champion Bruhin, who leads the parallel slalom standings was ahead in the second final run but fell with two turns left.

Fraenzi Kohly defeated Heidi Heururer of Austria to complete the Swiss sweep.

AP, Fri Jan 7, 1:27 PM ET
 

From left to right:: Ursula Bruhin, second place; Daniela Meuli, first place; Fraenzi Kohly, third place, all from Switzerland, and Heidi Neururer, of Austria, fourth place, pose on the podium after FIS Snowboard World Cup Women's Parallel Slalom in St.Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Jan. 7, 2005. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

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