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Anderson repeats as snowboard champion

Nielson, Ricker on top for Canada Last year Canada’s Jasey-Jay Anderson became the first Canadian to win the overall World Cup snowboard championships. Last week, the 26-year-old from Mt.

Nielson, Ricker on top for Canada

Last year Canada’s Jasey-Jay Anderson became the first Canadian to win the overall World Cup snowboard championships. Last week, the 26-year-old from Mt. Tremblant became the first snowboarder ever to win the overall World Cup title two years in a row, as well as two consecutive snowboard cross titles.

Heading into the World Cup finals at Tandadalen, Sweden, Anderson trailed Mathieu Bozzetto of France in the overall standings by 13 points, 719 to 706.

While Anderson stepped it up in the finals, winning the snowboard cross event and finishing third in the parallel slalom, Bozzetto essentially fell down, failing to advance in the overall standings. When the action wrapped up on March 23 with the snowboard cross (SBX), Anderson had 792 points, while Bozzetto remained at 719. In third, with 622 points, was Nicolas Huet of France.

According to Anderson, it wasn’t the best season he’s ever had on the circuit, but all is well that ends well.

"I had a roller coaster season," Anderson told reporters. "It was a much more difficult task to win this winter. The International Ski Federation changed its points system and I also competed in fewer events. But a last minute victory like that certainly made it exciting."

In the snowboard cross final, Anderson stuck to his game plan and was first out of the gate, and first heading into the first turn.

"The finals were clean and went as planned," he said. "The most important aspect in the snowboard cross is to win your starts. If you do that you should win 80 per cent of the time."

In the last race of the day, Anderson edged out Alexander Koller of Austria, Guillaume Sachot of France, and Drew Neilson of North Vancouver. Neilson, who spends a lot of time training in Whistler, went on to finish second in the overall standings.

Anderson finished the SBX season with 4,700 points to Neilson’s 4,090. Anderson had three gold medals, a silver and two fifth place finishes, including one in Whistler last December.

Nielson, a former X-Games champion, won silver medals, two bronze medals, and was fourth at Whistler.

Aymerick Mermoz of France was third in the overall standings with 3,510 points.

The French team was spectacular this year, putting more athletes in the top of the rankings than any other country.

Both the final women’s SBX of the season and the women’s SBX title went to Doris Krings of Austria, who edged out Julie Pomagalski, Karine Ruby and Marie Laissus of France in the last race. Laissus was second in the World Cup standings, followed by Ursula Fingerlos of Austria.

The glass globe for overall champion went to Karine Ruby, who dominated in race events this season to collect 999 points. Krings was second in the standings with 655, and Doris Guenther third with 591.

No Canadian men took part in the final halfpipe event, on March 22. The top three spots went to Thierry Brunner of Switzerland, Jan Michaelis of Germany and Risto Mattila of Finland, in that order. Michaelis also claimed the halfpipe title with 5,080 points. Mattila was second in the standings with 3,660, and Antti Autti, another Finn, was third with 2,436.

Although the Canadian men skipped the World Cup halfpipe events that followed the Olympics, three still managed to finish in the top 15 in the overall rankings. Gullaume Morisset, who has been out since early February with a knee injury, was 10th, Daniel Migneault was 11th, and Pemberton’s Mike Michalchuk was 12 th . Also for Whistler, Trevor Andrew and David Melancon were 24 th and 25 th .

In the women’s halfpipe, Tricia Byrnes and Gretchen Bleiler of the U.S. were first and second, followed by Nicola Pederzolli of Austria. West Vancouver’s Maëlle Ricker was sixth, and Dominique Vallee 21 st .

In the overall halfpipe standings, Pederzolli was first with 6,620 points. Sabine Wehr-Hasler of Germany was second with 4,570, and Valerie Bourdier of France third with 3,380.

Ricker finished fifth overall with 2,670, Whistler’s Lori Glazier was 16 th and Vallee was tied for the 18 th spot.

Anderson just missed a spot in the parallel slalom finals, but won the consolation final in a head-to-head battle against Werner Ebenbauer of Austria to claim the bronze medal. Nicolas Huet of France was first, beating Urs Eiselen of Switzerland to winner’s circle.

Dejan Kosir of Slovenia won the overall parallel slalom title, followed by Bozzetto and Siegfried Grabner of Austria. Anderson was the top Canadian on the list in 17 th place.

In the women’s parallel slalom, Heidi Renoth of Germany beat Ruby to the line. Rosey Fletcher of the U.S. beat Isabelle Blanc of France in the consolation final.

Blanc won the close battle for the overall parallel slalom title with 6,270 points, followed by Doris Guenther of Austria with 5,770, and Ruby with 5,690.

The last men’s parallel giant slalom went to Daniel Biveson of Sweden, who edged past Markus Ebner of Germany in the final. Gilles Jaquet of Switzerland was third, and Richard Rikardsson of Sweden fourth.

Kosir won his second title in this category with 7,410. Bozzetto was second with 5,372, and Grabner third with 5,130.

Anderson was 16 th for Canada.

The women’s parallel GS went to Maria Kirchgasser-Pichler of Austria, beating Ursula Bruhin of Switzerland. Marion Posch of Italy was third, followed by Doris Guenther of Austria.

The title went to Blanc with 6,270 points, followed by Ruby with 5,490 and Guenther with 5,270.