Skip to main content
12221
Back to International Paralympic Committee homepage Go to Official website of World Para Snowboard
Contrast:
High Contrast
Normal Contrast
Enlargement:
Larger Font Size
Default Font Size
Smaller Font Size
Official website of World Para Snowboard
    • Home
    • News
    • Rules and Documents
    • Events
    • Live results
    • Calendar
    • Athletes
    • Videos
    • Rankings
    • Classification
    • Anti Doping
    • About
    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
    • News
    • Blogs

    Para snowboard: 4 takeaways from the season

    22.04.2019

    A lookback at the thrills and spills of the past six months

    © •
    By World Para Snowboard
    Listen to this page using ReadSpeaker

    The 2018-19 season of Para snowboard made history, with new formats introduced and new winners crowned. Before we close the chapter of this year and start the journey to the next Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China, let us look back on what we learned.

    Four-way, finally!

    Snowboard-cross was spiced up with the first four-way races introduced at the World Cup in Pyha, Finland, in late November.

    Previously, the discipline had been a two-way format, which had already been a spectator favourite and kept everyone on the edges of their seats.

    Throw in two more boards, and you have people falling over with excitement.

    The new format was carried into the 2019 World Championships in Pyha, Finland, across the women’s SB-LL2, men’s SB-LL2 and men’s SB-UL events.

    The team event was also held for the first time ever at Pyha 2019. Although the results were unofficial, boarders and fans were raving about it.

    The comeback man

    Maxime Montaggioni erased any doubts that his incredible 2016-17 season was a one-time deal.

    The French rider had a breakthrough moment when he won the 2017 World Championship title in the men’s banked slalom SB-UL, upsetting US favourite Mike Minor. The following season, Montaggioni won the overall World Cup title, making a statement ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

    But heartbreak struck when he got injured and could not compete in his Games debut.

    This season, he came back and looked stronger than ever, winning all but one of his eight events, including a double gold at Pyha 2019.

    China building to Beijing

    This season saw China’s potential in the sport unleashed, not least by 19-year-old Sun Qi.

    He claimed his breakthrough victory at the World Cup in Landgraaf, Netherlands, where he upset reigning banked slalom SB-LL2 world champion Matti Suur-Hamari. To confirm his victory, Sun did it again against the Finn the following day. Those were the first career victories for the Chinese.

    At Pyha 2019, he went on to win the banked slalom gold medal.

    China sent eight athletes (the second biggest team) to the Worlds and left with four medals.

    The women’s SB-UL has promising talent, with Pang Qiaorong and Lu Jiangli going one-two, respectively, in banked slalom at Pyha. Pang also captured a silver in snowboard-cross.

    With their home Paralympic Winter Games looming at Beijing 2022 and under a new head coach, China appear on track to make their home fans proud.

    Unbeatable Bunschoten

    The Netherlands’ Lisa Bunschoten dominated the women’s SB-LL2, winning all but two of her races this season.

    Her biggest rival and fellow Dutchwoman Bibian Mentel-Spee retired after winning double gold in PyeongChang, and Bunschoten has rightfully become the new female face of the sport.

    She competed at all six World Cups this season, earning the overall title and her first major career golds at Pyha 2019.

    Related News
    Para Parents: Brenna Huckaby
    Pyha 2019: Cecile Hernandez’s bittersweet win
    Pyha 2019: USA double stoked with double gold
    Pyha 2019: Team event brings perfect ending
    Vote for March’s Americas ‘Athlete of the Month’
    Klovsjo 2019: Worlds medallists back for a little more
    Vote for March’s Allianz Athlete of the Month
    Klovsjo 2019: Banked slalom winners crowned
    Klovsjo 2019: World Cup winners decided
    Lisa Bunschoten is Allianz Athlete of the Month
    • Tweet
      • print
      • send
    LATEST NEWS
    Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation 05.08.2019 Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation
    Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude 05.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude
    Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day 04.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day
    Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way 03.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way
    Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month 02.08.2019 Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month
    More news...following the link
    Worldwide Paralympic Partners
    Go to Atos partner page
    Go to Bridgestone partner page
    Go to OttoBock partner page
    Go to Panasonic partner page
    Go to Samsung partner page
    Go to Toyota partner page
    Go to Visa partner page
    International Partners
    Go to Allianz partner page
    Go to BP partner page
    Go to Citi partner page
    • FAQ
    • Privacy
    • Imprint
    • Jobs
    Powered by Go to Atos. Worldwide IPC partner page
    The Paralympic Games
    Summer Games
    Winter Games
    Sochi 2014
    Rio 2016
    All the results & medallist since 1960
    Games video archive
    About the IPC
    Who we are
    Anti-Doping
    Medical
    Partners
    IPC Strategic Plan 2015-2018
    IPC Handbook
    Publications and Documents
    Media Centre
    News
    Features & Interviews
    The Paralympian
    Videos
    Athlete of the Month
    Media Office
    Sports
    Summer Sports
    Winter Sports
    Biographies
    NPCS
    Africa
    America
    Asia
    Europe
    Oceania
    Go to International Paralympic Committee homepage
    Official Website of the Paralympic Movement • IPC
    Homepage
    Paralympic Games
    The IPC
    Results, Ranking & Records
    Media Centre
    Videos
    Sports
    International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
    Adenauerallee 212-214, 53113 Bonn, Germany
    Telephone: +49-228-2097-200 • Fax: +49-228-2097-209 • E-mail: info@paralympic.org
    02:36:19