SNOWBOARD WOLRD CUP. Ekaterina Tudegesheva (RUS) and Roland Fischnaller (ITA) have won the last parallel slalom of the 2011 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup. At the Vorobyovy Gory area, right in the heart of Moscow, the Ladies World Cup leader clinched her season’s fifth victory. In the final of the season’s eighth out of ten parallel events, Tudegesheva relegated Tomoka Takeuchi (JPN) to the second spot. In the battle for third, Doris Guenther (AUT) crossed the finish line ahead of Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli (SUI). On the men’s side, Roland Fischnaller secured his career’s second World Cup win by edging off Rok Marguc (SLO) to the runner-up position of today’s night finals. Simon Schoch (SUI) rounded out the podium as third after he had defeated Siegfried Grabner (AUT) in the small final.

Pushed by the loud support of hundredths of spectators, Ekaterina Tudegesheva was once again able to live up to the expectations as main favourite at the world wide tour’s sole stop in Russia. The currently fastest female race boarder gave her rivals in her knock out heats no chance thus celebrating a home turf victory. It was her career’s eight.

“I’m so proud of what I achieved here in Moscow. This victory is a very special one for me,” said the fourth fastest rider of today’s qualifiers. By adding another win to her belt, Tudegesheva (5,890) extended her lead in the Parallel World Cup Standings up to 1,480 points over runner-up Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli (4,410) being in the best position to win the race for the World Cup title with only two more race to come (Valmalenco and Arosa). “I will try to win at least one race in order to safely secure the Crystal Globe.”

On the men’s side, Benjamin Karl still sits on the top spot of the World Cup ranking (5,210) but Roland Fischnaller is right at his tail with so far cumulated 4,400 points. But despite this lead over the Italian, the 2010 Olympic Silver medallist in the parallel giant slalom missed a new record by dropping out in the quarter finals.

No six-peat for Karl

Until today, Karl had remained unbeaten in 2011 and was sitting on a tied winning streak record of five consecutive wins (World Championships and World Cup races) together with Swiss Philipp Schoch, who had pulled off this feat at the end of the 2005 season, aiming for the six-peat in Moscow.

But out of all riders, it was Philipp’s older brother Simon, who dashed the 2011 Double World Champion’s hope for the new record – by only one hundredth of a second.

“The only thing I can criticise me for is the fact that I didn’t try a full-length dive,” said Karl. “All the rest was without any mistake. It was a tough fight. And when it comes down to short hills like this one, one hundredth is nothing. Anyway, I will give it another try next year.”

On contrary, Simon Schoch was all smiles because of his successful brother aid: “Everybody was aware of the winning streak situation. I told him (Karl) in the finish that he now has to wait for the record to be hold only by him. I guess he handled it pretty good.”

But that wasn’t the only fact he liked about the close quarter final as his coup was also the perfect redemption for his loss in the last parallel slalom World Championships final in La Molina, Spain: “After I lost the World Championships final against him (Karl) and another defeat it was time to beat him again. There is no way that he is immortal. That was a very good motivation to put the pedal to the metal today.”

Fischnaller is Mr. Russia

While Schoch won the duel with Karl, it was Fischnaller who triumphed in the end thus underlining once again a very special connection to the hosting country of today’s parallel slalom.

“We had five races in Russia and I was on the podium four times. I really like the races here and also the snow. I don’t know why I always do so well here but I guess I just have a good feeling when I enter the country,” explained the rider from South Tyrol after his season’s second win.

FISsnowboard.com
Saturday 5 March 2011