Miki and Auner victorious in dramatic finals in Davos

The 2024-25 VISA FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup streamed down the slopes of Davos for a thrilling parallel slalom race, the last event before the holiday break. The sun was shining in perfect conditions as the world’s best snowboarders took on the Swiss Alps. 

It was a day full of shocks and surprises. The Swiss crowd was rocking as they watched local favorites Dario Caviezel (SUI) and youngster Flurina Neva Baetschi (SUI) make podium runs. Around 3000 were in attendance at the finish line. The Swiss stars were the darlings of the crowd but it was Tsubaki Miki (JPN) and Arvid Auner (AUT) who took home the top spots.

Miki tops podium in photo finish

Miki qualified second and used that speed to navigate through a chaotic day of upsets on the women’s side. Miki edged out Michelle Dekker (NED) by a literal finger length in the big final to pick up her second win of the season. 

It was the epitome of a photo finish as the boarders waited minutes for the results until Miki was revealed as the winner by the length of her outstretched glove. It was redemption for Miki after a disappointing finish in Davos last year.

It was the Japanese racer’s sixth podium of the season, only missing one podium so far. The key to her early season success is unknown.

Miki topped a youthful podium. Dekker, 28, took second giving her seven career World Cup podiums. 

Baetschi ended the day in third with a thrilling win in the small final, screaming out in joy after crossing the finish line. The 21-year-old used the support of the home crowd to push her to her first career podium.

There were other shocking results on the women’s side. Aleksandra Krol-Walas (POL) took second in the three previous PSL races this season but was edged out at the line in her first round matchup by Jasmin Coratti (ITA). Sabine Payer (AUT) was knocked out in the quarterfinals by milliseconds.  

Last year’s winner in Davos Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) fell out in the first round after strong qualifying runs. Local favorite Julie Zogg (SUI) came out flying in the first qualifying run but a mistake in the second run caused her to miss qualification for the finals. 

Women’s PSL standings after Davos 

1. Tsubaki Miki (JPN) - 280 points

2. Sabine Payer (AUT) - 190 points

3. Claudia Riegler (AUT) - 165 points

4. Michelle Dekker (NED) - 149 points

5. Julie Zogg (SUI) - 133 points

Women's Overall Standings

1. Tsubaki Miki (JPN) - 510 points

2. Sabine Payer (AUT) - 435 points

3. Aleksandra Krol-Walas (POL) - 344 points

4. Jasmin Coratti (ITA) - 316 points

5. Julie Zogg (SUI) - 286 points

Miki extended her overall lead by 75 points going into the holiday break followed by Payer and Krol-Walas.

Auner edges Caviezel and home crowd in big final

On the men’s side it was another Swiss star going for hometown glory. Dario Caviezel knows Davos well and is a local. His friends and family in the crowd spurred him to his best run of the season with a second place finish. 

In the end Arvid Auner proved too much as he just beat Caviezel in the final for his first win of the season. The two were the fastest in qualifying and battled all the way to the finish line. Auner did his best to block out the noise.

Auner put down his best performance of the season and redeemed his second-place finish in Davos last season. He had a strong feeling for the course on Saturday.

It is the fourth career World Cup victory for Auner and ninth career individual podium. 

Caviezel’s near victory was his first podium of the season and by far the best finish of the year. The Swiss rider now has nine career individual podiums, including two wins, in his long career. 

Rounding out the podium was Fabian Obmann (AUT) who made the top-three for the first time this season and sixth time in his career. 

Last season’s Davos winner Daniele Baggozza (ITA) went down with a DNF in the quarterfinals. His teammate Gabriel Messner (ITA) suffered the same fate in the small final and ended fourth. 

The defending overall champion Benjamin Karl (AUT) was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Overall leader coming into Davos Tim Mastnak (SLO) fails to qualify for finals. Edwin Coratti (ITA) missed out as well. 

Men’s PSL standings after Davos:

1. Daniele Bogozza (ITA) - 190 points

2. Gabriel Messner (ITA) - 190 points

3. Arvid Auner (AUT) - 174 points

4. Benjamin Karl (AUT) - 161 points

5. Maurizio Bormonolini (ITA) - 129 points

Despite his DNF, Bagozza moves into first place in the overall standings at the break. Mastnak sits 20 points behind in second followed by Bormolini, Karl and Auner. 

Men's Overall Standings

1. Daniele Bagozza (ITA) - 348 points

2. Tim Mastnak (SLO) - 328 points

3. Maurizio Bormolini (ITA) - 295 points

4. Benjamin Karl (AUT) - 262 points

5. Arvid Auner (AUT) - 248 points

QUICK LINKS

• Race Calendar

• Davos Full Results

• 2024-25 Men's Cup Standings

• 2024-25 Women's Cup Standings

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