The third podium of the season for Italy in the men's parallel snowboard world cup has arrived, at the end of the giant scheduled in Simonhohe (Austria).
For the third time the Azzurri climbed to the lowest step of the podium and the merit went to Roland Fischnaller, in a 'small final' that saw him prevail over the Swiss Nevin Galmarini in the final stages.
This is the 44th career podium in the top circuit - second in the season after that of Cortina d'Ampezzo - for the 41-year-old South Tyrolean from the Army Sports Center. The race was won by the German Stefan Baumeister, ahead of the Slovenian Tim Mastnak. "I had never competed on this track - says Fischnaller -. I knew it was an easy slope but, for this very reason, it became just as difficult to speed: we worked very well, placing all of us in the first eight positions, even though we came up with a small team.
I am happy with my performance since qualifying where I set the fourth fastest time, then step by step the slightest mistake was punished.
This race gave me a lot of confidence, mentally I reached the condition I was looking for in view of the Olympics, now it will be important to stay healthy and focused on the goal. "Among the other Italians in the race fifth place for Aaron March and seventh position for Gabriel Messner.
In the women's field, without the Italians at the start, the victory went to the Polish Aleksandra Krol, who defeated the hostess Julia Dujmovits in the 'big final'. In the 'small final' the German Melanie Hochreiter mocked the Russian Sofiya Nadyrshina.