LG Snowboard FIS World Cup 2011: Parallel Giant Slalom in Valmalenco

Warm temperatures at the parallel giant slalom of the 2011 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup made the course hard to handle. The conditions led Isabella Laboeck to make decisive mistake that gave Ekaterina Tudegesheva the win.

Russia's Ekaterina Tudegesheva and France's Sylvain Dufour are the winners of the penultimate parallel competition of the 2011 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup, held in Valmalenco, Italy.

In the parallel giant slalom, Tudegesheva defeated Isabella Laboeck in the ladies final to claim her season’s sixth victory. Julia Dujmovits finished third.

On the men’s side of the parallel giant slalom, Sylvain Dufour celebrated his career’s first triumph by beating Andreas Prommegger in the final. In the battle for third, Roland Haldi crossed the finish line ahead of Meinhard Erlacher.

Despite soft and difficult snow conditions, Ekaterina Tudegesheva seemed to have found some rail like lines on the slope bringing home her career’s ninth World Cup win.

“I’m very happy,” said the 23-year-old Tudegesheva. “It’s been a super season and I hope that I can wrap it up with another victory at the season’s finals in Arosa.”

The 24-year-old German, Isabella Laboeck begrudgingly recognises her rival’s dominance.

“She is very strong. There is nothing to it. You can lose against her, especially as we had some tough conditions today.”

After a frustrating season, no one would have thought that Sylvain Dufour would snatch himself a World Cup win.

In seven races, the 28-year-old skipped Korea and only made it to the Top 16 round once at the indoor season’s opener in Landgraaf.

“It feels so good. For a long time I just worked, worked and worked. And now it finally paid off. I never expected, that I could make it after such a season. But now, I know I can do it,” said Sylvain Dufour.

However, Dufour had a lucky break when one of Andreas Prommegger’s bindings broke during the first run of the mens final. In the second run, the Austrian fought back but couldn’t overtake Dufour anymore.

“Of course it would have been nice to win. But bearing my misfortune in mind, I have to say that the second is super. Especially as it is the best result I ever had here in Valmalenco,” explained Prommegger.