DIERDORFF, SAMKOVA WIN SNOWBOARDCROSS TITLES
BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah (February 1, 2019) – Crystal-clear blue skies and crisp temps provided near perfect course conditions for the Czech Republic’s Eva Samkova to win the women’s competition, and U.S. Ski & snowboard’s Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) to take gold for the men in snowboardcross on day one of the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota.
“That was the best day of my life! I love this sport and I love to be out there racing with my buddies,” Dierdorff said. “We battled today and coming out on top is surreal.”
A definitely festive air greeted snowboardcross athletes, along with a healthy throng of spectators at Solitude Mountain Resort, for the first day of medal events at the World Championships.
“I’m so happy. I’ve been waiting for this since 2011 when my best result was fifth and from then it was just getting worse,” Samkova said. “I didn’t feel so well in training. It’s a pretty long course and at this altitude I’ve been at full gas. All the girls were racing amazing and I had to pull my best. It was an awesome race. Great weather and the course was perfect.”
In the men’s final, Austria’s Hanno Douschan was place and Emanuel Perathoner of Italy wads third. In the women’s event, Great Britain’s Charlotte Bankes and Italy’s Michela Moioli, finished second and third respectively. Bankes won Great Britain’s first ever World Championships snowboard medal.
One of the biggest surprises of the day was the elimination in the semifinals of the most dominant snowboardcross athlete in the history of the sport – Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.). Jacobellis, the five-time defending World Champion, finished third in the first semifinal heat and did not advance to the big finals, but won the small semi-final, thereby finishing fifth overall.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
MEN’S TOP THREE FINISHERS AND CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo., USA) age 27
2 career World Cup podiums
2019 World Championships is his first win at World Cup or above
3 NorAm Cup wins
Hanno Douschan, AUT, age 29
27th at the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games
10th at Sochi Olympic Winter Games
2 World Cup podiums
Emanuel Perathoner, ITA, age 32
15th PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games
30th in Sochi
4 World Cup podiums
WOMEN’S TOP THREE FINISHERS AND CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Eva Samkova, CZE, age 25
Olympic Bronze PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games
Olympic Gold Sochi Olympic Winter Games
5th at Sierra Nevada
No World Champs medals
Charlotte Bankes, GBR
7th PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games
Silver at Sierra Nevada
3 World Cup wins
Michela Moioli, ITA
Olympic Bronze at PyeongChang
9 World Cup wins
The 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota, continues on Saturday with the skicross finals at Solitude Mountain Resort at 1:00 P.M. and 2019 FIS World Championships Opening Ceremonies (6:00 P.M.) the Big Air final (7:00 P.M.) and concert with the Main Squeeze and fireworks show (9:00 P.M.) For complete event details visit 2019worldchampionships.com.
About the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle & Freeski World Championships
More than 1,400 athletes from 40 nations are competing in 25 World Championship medal events from February 1-10. Solitude Mountain Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon is hosting snowboardcross and skicross. Park City Mountain in Park City is the site of parallel events, halfpipe, slopestyle and big air. Deer Valley Resort is the site for moguls and aerials.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tom Webb
Director of Marketing and Communications, U.S. Ski & Snowboard
+1.435.602.9644
tom.webb@usskiandsnowboard.org
FOR ACCREDITED MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Tom Kelly
Chief of Press
+1.435.602.9799
2019WorldChampsMedia@usskiandsnowboard.org
