Vos, Suur-Hamari secure snowboard-cross World Cups

The Netherlands’ Chris Vos and Finland’s Matti Suur-Hamari finished the World Cup snowboard-cross season on a high note on Thursday (17 March), securing overall globes with race wins in Trentino, Italy.

Going into the final men’s SB-LL2 race tied with the USA’s Michael Shea at the top of the points table, world champion Suur-Hamari knew he had to put on his best performance.

However Shea was dramatically knocked out of contention when he did not qualify for the big final to take on Suur-Hamari. Instead the USA’s Paralympic champion Evan Strong raced the Fin, finishing second.

Shea did however win his small final against teammate Keith Gabel to take third place and second in the World Cup standings. Strong finished third overall.

The Netherlands’ Bibian Mentel-Spee was going for a perfect season record in the women’s SB-LL2, having already sealed the overall snowboard-cross World Cup crown on Wednesday (16 March).

The world and Paralympic champion did exactly that, claiming her seventh victory of the season against teammate Lisa Bunschoten.

The USA’s Heidi Jo Duce was third, winning her small final ahead of Australia’s Joany Badenhorst.

Bunschoten and Duce claimed second and third respectively in the World Cup rankings.

Dutch world champion Chris Vos went head-to-head with Austrian rival Reinhold Schett for honours in the men’s SB-LL1.

Vos emerged triumphant to lift the World Cup globe, bringing the curtain down on an exciting series of races between him and debutant Schett.

The Netherlands’ Mike Ultee finished third in the race after beating Austria’s Rene Eckhart in the small final.

Vos led Schett and the USA’s Mike Schultz into the top three of the overall World Cup.

French Paralympic silver medallist Cecile Hernandez-Cervellon won her big final against Canada’s Michelle Salt in the women’s SB-LL1.

Hernandez-Cervellon’s World Cup snowboard-cross season comes to an end with a second-place finish in the points behind the USA’s Nicole Roundy. Salt completed the top three for the season.

Austria’s Patrick Mayrhofer came back from a disappointing race on Wednesday to finish his season perfectly in the men’s SB-UL.

He took maximum points in the big final ahead of Australia’s Simon Patmore.

The USA’s Michael Minor reached his latest podium in third, concluding a great debut season.

Italy’s Manuel Pozzerle and the USA’s James Sides were second and third respectively behind Mayrhofer in the final World Cup standings.

The Netherlands’ Renske van Beek won her women’s SB-UL race with Italy’s Sarah’s Dorigatti for the second day in a row.

Van Beek finished with three race wins to claim the overall globe.

Full results and rankings are available online.

Athletes will now attempt to secure banked slalom World cup titles on Friday (18 March) in Trentino.