Redkozubov and Bugaev make it four wins from four races in La Molina

Russia’s Valerii Redkozubov and teammate Alexey Bugaev completed a perfect week in La Molina, Spain, on Sunday (11 January) winning their fourth IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup slalom races in as many days.

On the fourth and final day of races, Redkozubov and his guide Evgeny Geroev, Sochi 2014 champions, showed they will be strong contenders for medals at February’s World Championships by winning the men’s visually impaired class.

The pair (1:18.20) was fastest in both legs and finished ahead of teammates Ivan Frantsev and guide German Agranovskii (1:22.97). Third was home favourites Jon Santacana Maiztegui and guide Miguel Galindo Garces (1:24.49).

World champion Bugaev (1:15.28) also maintained his 100 per cent slalom record in La Molina, with victory in the men’s standing. Fastest in both legs, the 17-year-old pushed New Zealand’s Adam Hall (1:18.06) into second and Switzerland’s Thomas Pfyl (1:18.14) into third.

In the women’s standing class, Marie Bochet (1:24.02), France’s four-time Paralympic champion from Sochi 2014, secured her third win in four races in La Molina. Two years ago, Bochet won five world titles on this course and was again on top form finishing fastest in both legs. Friday’s winner, Stephanie Jallen (1:27.54) of the USA, was second thanks to an excellent second run, which placed her ahead of Germany’s Paralympic champion Andrea Rothfuss (1:27.74).

After two second placed finishes earlier this week, Austria’s Claudia Loesch (1:34.40) finally claimed first place in the women’s sitting with two consistent runs. Having finished fastest in the first leg, Canada’s Kimberley Joines (1:34.74) had looked set for the win, however she was only third fastest in her second run and had to settle for second overall. Saturday’s winner Laurie Stephens (1:35.93) of the USA was third.

The German pair of Anna Schaffelhuber and Anna-Lena Forster failed to finish their first runs.

Japan’s world and Paralympic champion Takeshi Suzuki (1:22.93) maintained his record of reaching the podium in each of this week’s men’s sitting races by claiming his second win in four races. France’s Jean Yves Le Meur (1:23.16) was second – his highest finish of the week – whilst Austria’s Roman Rabl (1:24.45) was third.

Full results are available here. www.paralympic.org/alpine-skiing/calendar-and-results.

Weather conditions in La Molina have meant that the scheduled giant slalom events had to be cancelled.

Skiers are in La Molina as part of the preparations for the 2015 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Panorama, Canada, from 28 February - 10 March, which is set to see 130 of the world's best athletes from 30 countries line-up for the biggest gathering of alpine skiers since Sochi 2014.