Snowboardercross: Baumgartner takes third at Worlds

By Published On: January 18th, 2009Comments Off on Snowboardercross: Baumgartner takes third at Worlds

American snowboarder Nate Baumgartner won his first career World Championships medal in Gangwon, Korea today, taking the bronze in a snowboardercross race.American snowboarder Nate Baumgartner won his first career World Championships medal in Gangwon, Korea today, taking the bronze in a snowboardercross race.

“It was a great race. I got stuck behind and tried making a pass three times. Then I bumped into one of the corners and it was really hairy, but I held it together and stayed in third. Those guys raced hard,” Baumgartner says.

Austrian Makus Schairer won the race followed by French Xavier De Le Rue in second.

“It feels good. It’s a great medal to have. It was my first time being at World Championships and it’s great to be on the podium,” Baumgartner says. “I had some high expectations. This has been my best start to a year yet and all the training in the off season paid off.”

U.S. Snowboarding snowboardcross coach Jeff Archibald has seen Baumgartner improving all year and hope he has hit his stride.

“It’s been coming for Nick. He’s just been making little mental errors, but his snowboarding has been at a podium level all year, today was the first day he put it all together and that was really cool and I think it will carry throughout the year,” Archibald says.

Three more American men joined Baumgartner in the top 15, Seth Wescott in fifth, Graham Watanabe in sixth and Nate Holland in 13th.

Norwegian Helene Olafsen won the women’s race followed by Switzerland’s Olivia Nobs and Mellie Francon in second and third respectively.

No American women competed today as U.S. snowboardercross great Lindsey Jacobellis passed on the trip in order to prepare for the X Games, which start later this week in Aspen/Snowmass, CO. 

With Worlds in the bag, Baumgartner now turns his focus to X Games gold as well.

“Next weekend is the only thing I am worried about right now – going for the gold at X Games,” Baumgartner says. “This finish is a great accelerator for next weekend. This really gets me amped for it.”

The World Championships continue Tuesday with men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom races.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2009 FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Gangwon, Korea – Jan. 18, 2009
Snowboardcross

Men’s
1. Markus Schairer, Austria
2. Xavier De Le Rue, France
3. Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI
4. Tom Velisek, Canada
5. Seth Wescott, Sugarloaf, ME

6. Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID
13. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA

Women’s
1. Helene Olafsen, Norway
2. Olivia Nobs, Switzerland
3. Mellie Francon, Switzerland
4. maella Ricker, Canada
5. Sandra Frei, Switzerland

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About the Author: Pete Rugh