Suur-Hamari wins final race at IPCAS Snowboard World Cup

Despite finishing fourth, Mike Shea claimed the overall season World Cup title with 5,800 points after winning four of the seven races in the inaugural year of the event.

Finland’s Matti Suur-Hamari rocketed to the top of the podium for the third time this season in the men’s lower-limb class on Wednesday (12 February) at the final day of the IPCAS Snowboard World Cup Finals in La Molina, Spain.

Suur-Hamari, who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in 2009, recorded a final time of 1:18.99 made up of his two best runs, which was good enough to position him in third place in the final 2013-14 World Cup standings with 3,860 points.

Three Americans finished just after Suur-Hamari in La Molina, as Evan Strong took second place in 1:19.08, Keith Gabel grabbed third place in 1:20.14 and Mike Shea came in fourth place in 1:20.60.

Despite finishing fourth, Shea claimed the overall season World Cup title with 5,800 points after winning four of the seven races in the inaugural year of the event. Strong placed second for the season with 5,000 points.

There were no surprises in the women’s lower-limb competition in La Molina, as Dutch favourite Bibian Mentel-Spee raced to the finish as the quickest yet again in a total time of 1:26.06. She was followed by the USA’s Heidi Jo Duce in 1:35.72 and another Dutch competitor, Lisa Bunschoten, in 1:35.81.

Mentel-Spee, 41, finished the World Cup circuit with a perfect 7,000 points, having won every single race. Duce ended the event second in the overall rankings with 4,000 points, followed by Bunschoten with 3,950 points.

American Amy Purdy, who has become Mentel-Spee’s toughest rival on the slopes, did not start on the final day of competition in La Molina, and thus ended up finishing fourth in the overall World Cup standings with 3,900 points.

The men’s upper-limb class also raced on the final day in La Molina. Italy’s Roberto Cavicchi finished first in 1:27.77, followed by Austria’s Patrick Mayrhofer in 1:28.43 and another Italian, David Preziosi, in 1:36.40.

Photos from the IPCAS Snowboard World Cup Finals are available at www.Flickr.com/photos/Paralympic.

Next up, the snowboarders will take part in their sport’s Paralympic debut at the Sochi 2014 Games.

The Sochi 2014 snowboard cross competition will take place on 14 March at 10:00 (MSK).