“From the shadow into the sun!” Fraenzi Kohli (SUI) could not have said it better after her career-first World Cup snowboarding victory.
Doris Guenther and Doresia Krings in action
The 24 year-old Swiss rider beat out Austrian Doresia Krings to take the gold medal in the final of the season’s first Parallel Giant Slalom of the NOKIA Snowboard FIS World, proving that she is able to follow Daniela Meuli’s and Ursula Bruhin’s footsteps. In the battle for third, Marion Kreiner (AUT) came in nine hundredths of a second ahead of Germany’s Isabella Laboeck, causing a small sensation in Soelden by placing fourth because she never had survived the qualifications before.
Organizers moved the start of the race higher up the Rettenbach Glacier due to poor snow conditions lower down. The top American finisher was Erica Mueller (Steamboat Springs, CO) in 28th.
“I have worked a lot for this victory”, Kohli said after the race. “I have fought for it, especially mentally, to keep on dreaming of the success. And today, everything was fine. I had a fantastic feeling on my board in every single heat.” The Swiss hope in alpine snowboarding continued, “I have thought of the win last season but I guess it wasn’t ripe last winter.”
Krings was more than pleased with her season’s starter. “That was a perfect opener for me, although I missed my personal hattrick here in Soelden,” Krings said. “But I didn’t had any indications before because I’m training a lot of Snowboard Cross and thus haven’t got that much time for the parallel disciplines.”
Junior Vice World Champion Laboeck couldn’t believe the result at all. “I wasn’t even thinking of this. But I’m glad that I could prove my abilities after my undeserved starting spot in Landgraaf.”
Due to her fifth rank, Amelie Kober (GER) is still leading the Parallel World Cup. The 18 year-old winner of the qualification said of her crash in the quarter finals, “If you are ambitious you are annoyed of that. But I was able today again to give an impression of what you can expect from me in the future!”
The men will compete in Soelden on Sunday.
SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP: Soelden, Austria – Oct. 21, 2006
Women’s PGS
- 1. Fraenzi Kohli, Switzerland
- 2. Doresia Krings, Austria
- 3. Marion Kreiner, Austria
- 4. Isabella Laboeck, Germany
- 5. Amelie Kober, Germany
