Zavarzina and Prommegger victorious in Olympic PGS test event
Aug 31, 2018·Alpine Snowboard
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Alena Zavarzina (RUS) and Andreas Prommegger (AUT) have claimed victory in the official parallel giant slalom test event for the upcoming 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea which was staged in the re-run format today.
With perfect conditions on the 560 metres long course given, a course which had all the ingredients for a superb show, with steep parts, natural rollers as well as flat sections and a total of 26 parallel flagged gates, everything was set for the raceboarder's first taste of what to expect next February.
In the women's competition, Zavarzina kept hold to her win from Bulgaria last weekend coming out successful of the Bansko women's final remake against 2014 Olympic champion Patrizia Kummer (SUI).
“I'm feeling great. It was a great experience to race here on the official Olympic slope. Organisers did a great job. I'm really excited to come back next year,” Zavarzina stated.
Her rival from Switzerland was also in a good mood and full of praise for the venue and organisation at site:
“I'm very happy, another podium in the World Cup at a special place. It's been a good course, a great slope. I'm stoked.”
Due to her season's second and career's fourth win, Zavarzina, the 2014 Olympic bronze medallist not only extended her lead in the pgs World Cup standings but also took over the lead in the alpine snowboard overall World Cup ranking from Ester Ledecka.
The Czech top gun missed the race in Korea due to her participation in the FIS Ski World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Julie Zogg (SUI) rounded out the podium as third winning the small final against Germany's Ramona Hofmeister.
The top-3 men Kislinger, Prommegger and March
Prommegger from 16 to first
Over in the men's event, Andreas Prommegger held the upper hand over his teammate Sebastian Kislinger in an all-Austrian final bringing home his season's first World Cup win while his fellow countryman celebrated his career's first podium in his 40th start.
However, at first, it didn't really look like his career's 14th as the father of one just sneaked through to the finals as 16th best qualifier facing this seasons dominant rider and best qualifier Radoslav Yankov in his eighth final round.
But Prommegger knocked out Yankov catching up a deficit of 0.19 seconds to tie the time and proceed to the next round where he kept the momentum in the following duels versus Sarsembaev (RUS) and Caviezel (SUI).
“I didn't know what was going on in the qualifiers. I had two good runs but wasn't fast. So, I changed the equipment and it worked out perfectly. I'm feeling great,” Prommegger explained the move which made the difference for him in the end.
Yankov, beaten by literally nothing, finished in ninth position and defended his lead in both, the pgs and alpine snowboard overall World Cup rankings.
Aaron March (ITA) finished in third position with Dario Caviezel (SUI) forced to settle for fourth.
The alpine snowboard World Cup tour continues in two weeks with a parallel slalom staged in Shukolovo (RUS) on February 25, 2017.
Results
Full results of this season's fifth pgs World Cup staged at Bokwang, Korea can be viewed online.
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