Event Recap: PGS at Secret Garden
Feb 23, 2019·Alpine Snowboard
Secret Garden (CHN) - The first of two back-to-back competitions to take to the future home of Snowboard competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games went down on Saturday, where Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) and Tim Mastnak (SLO) claimed FIS Snowboard alpine parallel giant slalom victories at Secret Garden Resort (CHN).
Fresh off her first World Cup win at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic venue in Korea, Hofmeister kept the momentum rolling at the Olympic venue-to-be in Secret Garden, putting down an inspired big final performance.
There, she would line up alongside Ester Ledecka - winner of race one last weekend in PyeongChang, current PGS World Cup leader, and the most dominant athlete in alpine snowboarding over the past several seasons.
However, Hofmeister showed no fear in big final run, attacking the course from the very first gate and pulling out a lead on Ledecka by the course’s middle section. Falling behind, Ledecka sought to reel in her opponent as she is typically able to do in a close heat, but Hofmeister was having none of it, pushing the pace to the very end and claiming a memorable victory.
“I’m so happy to be back on top of the podium again, two times in a row now,” smiled Hofmeister from the finish, “Last weekend my win in PyeongChang was great but now to win again here in Secret Garden is so crazy. I’m thankful for my strong team who stands behind me and to everyone who makes a day like today possible.”
Ledecka’s second-place result kept her 2018/19 podium streak going, and she is now a perfect five-for-five in World Cup PGS competition so far this season, giving her 4,200 points to extend her lead on the PGS standings while also taking over top spot on the parallel overall standings. Sabine Schoeffmann (AUT), who finished 10th on Saturday in Secret Garden, dropped down to second behind Ledecka with 4,140 points.
Saturday’s small final saw Utah 2019 PGS world champion Selina Joerg (GER) matched up with Aleksandra Krol (POL) in an extremely tight heat that would eventually go to Joerg, giving her third place on the day and her third podium of the season. Joerg now sits just behind Ledecka and Schoeffman on the overall standings, and in second place on the PGS standings.
Saturday’s men’s competition in Secret Garden came down to a big final showdown between Tim Mastnak and Andrey Sobolev (RUS), as the men’s alpine snowboard World Cup continues to say a diverse cast of characters stepping up for top results from one week to the next.
It was another hard-fought big final, with no rider having a clear advantage through the course’s top section. However, by the middle split Mastnak opened up a small lead which he would manage to extend through the bottom section of the course, crossing the line .56 seconds ahead of Sobolev for his second win of the season and the third of his career.
“When you win it’s always perfect,” said Mastnak of his day, “It was a great race here today and I’m already looking forward to tomorrow. This is a good warm-up for the Olympic Winter Games in three years, and I can’t wait for that.”
The small final on Saturday had Germany’s Stefan Baumeister squaring off with Polish young gun Oskar Kwiatkowski (POL). Baumeister would emerge victories in that one, claiming third place for his second podium of the season.
Action continues on Sunday with World Cup parallel slalom action at Secret Garden, where once again the qualification/elimination rounds will begin at 10:00 local time, followed by finals at 14:00.
QUICK LINKS
Ladies’ highlight videos BIG FINAL / SMALL FINAL
Men’s highlight videos BIG FINAL / SMALL FINAL
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