Sophie Hediger claims first snowboard cross World Cup podium on home snow as Eva Adamczykova wins in St Moritz

BySportsbeat

Published 26/01/2024 at 15:53 GMT

Sophie Hediger finished second behind Eva Adamczykova in St Moritz for a first World Cup podium in her sixth year on the circuit. World Cup leader Chloe Trespeuch of France finished third to edge out Italian Michela Moioli. Meanwhile, Canada's Eliot Grondin claimed gold in the men's race, while Switzerland's Kalle Koblet came second and Italy's Omar Visintin was third.

ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 09: Sophie Hediger of Team Switzerland competes during the Women's Snowboard Cross Qualification on Day 5 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Genting Snow Park on February 09, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Maj

Image credit: Getty Images

Switzerland's Sophie Hediger claimed a first women's snowboard cross podium in St Moritz as she finished just behind Eva Adamczykova.

The 25-year-old had never finished higher than seventh but claimed silver on home snow as Adamczykova surged to gold.

The Czech snowboarder moved from fourth to first in the closing stages of the final for a first win of the campaign in her maiden World Cup race of the season.

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The two contested the same quarter-finals and semi-finals with Adamczykova coming out on top in the last 16 before Hediger got revenge in the semi-final.

Adamczykova had the last laugh but could not dampen Hediger's spirit as she improved on her first two results of the season which saw her finish 22nd and 26th.

World Cup leader Chloe Trespeuch of France finished third with her nearest challenger in the standings, Michela Moioli of Italy in fourth.

Switzerland also finished second in the men's event as Canada's Eliot Grondin claimed gold.

Grondin led from the front, winning all four of his races, and was ahead throughout the Big Final as he claimed his second World Cup win of the season.

Home favourite Kalle Koblet enjoyed his best performance of the campaign with second place.

Koblet is now 42 points behind Austria's Alessandro Haemmerle who was knocked out in the round of 16.

Grondin now leads the overall World Cup standings ahead of Haemmerle as Omar Visintin of Italy claimed his first podium of the season, with Krystof Choura finishing fourth.

The FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup next heads to Gudauri in Georgia on 2 February.

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