SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP. The 2011 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup wrapped up with a parallel race at the season’s finals in Arosa Switzerland. In the last parallel giant slalom held on the Carmenna slope, Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli (SUI) and Andreas Prommegger (AUT) successfully competed against the international field. The Swiss race boarder held the upper hand on Ekaterina Tudegesheva in the women’s final thus defeating the Parallel and Speed Overall World Cup title champion for the first time in a final after the Russian had won all of her six season’s finals before. In the battle for third, Julia Dujmovits (AUT) crossed the finish line ahead of Tomoka Takeuchi (JPN). On the men’s side, Prommegger brought home his season’s second win despite the fact that he was racing with some serious injuries. Roland Fischnaller (ITA) finished second. Nevin Galamarini (SUI), who had edged off Izidor Sustersic (SLO) in the small final, rounded out the podium as third. The small and big Crystal Globes on the men’s side were taken by Benjamin Karl (AUT), who had won both titles already in the 2008 and 2010 season, after a ninth rank today had secured a successful title defence.

His ninth rank had been safe after Karl had posted the best qualifier time this morning. According to this, the most successful Austrian winter sportsman of the season was about to enjoy the race. “I did everything I needed. I clinched both titles with the best time in the qualifications. So I made it once again. I guess, I kind of was pleased with that,” said the 25-years-old, who also admitted that he was mentally tired.

“I didn’t have the ultimate will to win. It was a long season. I won six times this winter. My head is just empty. I accomplished everything this season,” explained Karl, who had grabbed two Gold medals at the 2011 FIS Snowboard World Championships in La Molina, Spain, last January.

In the end, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games runner-up won the Parallel World Cup standings with the tiny mere of only 50 points over his team mate Andreas Prommegger, who stormed to his career’s fifth victory today while struggling with two torn ligaments in the left ankle and a half-torn ACL in the right knee – both injuries suffered eight days ago in the final of the Valmalenco PGS.

“The doctors had told me that it would be an acceptable risk. That was sheer madness today. It really was a tough race. I’m totally exhausted as I was only lying in bed the whole week. But I liked it today and it was nice to race in the finals with Fisch (Roland Fischnaller) for second and third in the Parallel World Cup rankings,” said Prommegger.

However, the 30-years-old Salzburg country side resident also mentioned that, “if I wouldn’t have had the bad luck in the Valmalenco finals with the broken bindings and thus wouldn’t have lost some decent points, I might have won the Globe today with a win back then and today. But would, if and but – that’s all for nothing. I had a super season, although it didn’t work out with the title. Benji (Benjamin Karl) was just to strong.”

First World Cup title for Russia

Over the course of the season, Ekaterina Tudegesheva was the measure of all things on the women’s side and thus clinched both, the Parallel and Speed Overall World Cup titles, deservedly after she had won six races in the 2010/2011 winter. Both Globes were the first ever for her home country in the history of the FIS Snowboard World Cup. However, Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli proved today, that the Russian can be beaten.

“Today, I believed that I could make it and beat her (Ekaterina Tudegesheva). In addition, she finally made a big mistake today. But although I had the advantage of the penalty time, I still had to mobilize all of my strengths in order to bring down a good second run in the finals,” said the 2009 Parallel Slalom World Champion, who also got some redemption for a bitter defeat at the same place.

Four years ago, at the 2007 World Championships, the 28-years-old had lost her semi final against the Russian by only a few hundredths. “I didn’t think of this. Back then, I ended up grabbing Bronze. But winning on home turf is the best thing on earth.”

FISsnowboard.com
Sunday 27 March 2011

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