FIS Snowboard World Championships kick off tomorrow

On Saturday, January 17th, the 2009 FIS Snowboard World Championships Gangwon, Korea will kick off in Gangwon with the first disciplines’ qualifying.

Tomorrow, the time trials for the Snowboard Cross will take place with the first more than 75 men including reigning title holder Xavier Delerue (FRA) and more than 45 ladies to enter the race in order to qualify for Sunday’s finals taking place at noon Korean time with the fastest 32 men and 16 ladies respectively. Over the whole competition week, a total of almost 400 riders coming from 45 nations will fight for World Championship medals and honors.

Also the following days will bring some action packed World Championships with the Parallel Giant Slalom on Tuesday, January 20th and Parallel Slalom one day later. Ekaterina Tudegesheva (RUS) and Rok Flander (SLO) will throw in their best in order to keep hold on the 2007 PGS World Championship title earned in Arosa as well as Heidi Neururer (AUT) and Simon Schoch (SUI) in PSL.

On Thursday, January 22nd, the freestyle riders will take over as athletes like defending champion Mathieu Crepel (FRA) will enter the Worlds in order to qualify either directly for the Halfpipe finals on Friday, January 23rd, or the semi finals taking place also on Friday offering the last chance to gain one of the twelve spots for the men’s final or top six spots for the ladies’ final.

The last event of the 2009 FIS Snowboard World Championships Gangwon, Korea will take place on Saturday, January 24th. In the Big Air – the only discipline which is staged only for men, Mathieu Crepel will try once again to win another Gold medal after he also dominated the Big Air finals two years ago in Switzerland with his Gold trick – a “Switch Backside 1260”.