U.S. team's Jacobellis wins in her first World Cup snowboardcross

U.S. team’s Jacobellis wins in her first World Cup snowboardcross{mosimage}USSA — Lindsey Jacobellis won her first World Cup snowboardcross race in only her second career World Cup start Monday night at the floodlit Bucheben Ski Arena in Bad Gastein, Austria.

Canadian Dominque Maltais was second for the women ahead of Maria Danielsson of Sweden. Tom Velisek, also of Canada, took the men’s event followed by a one-two French punch of 2003 World Cup SBX champ Xavier Delerue and teammate Sylvian Duclos. The top American male finisher was Jason Smith in 42nd.

“I’m absolutely surprised and lucky”, said Jacobellis, current junior world halfpipe champ and former junior world SBX gold medalist. “You always need a bit of luck in finals like this one, but I had a perfect start.”

Jacobellis was the runner-up — to teammate Hannah Teter — in her first World Cup, the halfpipe in September at Valle Nevado, Chile. She won the snowboardcross event at the 2003 U.S. Finals, and flew directly from Austria to California for the January 11 SBX in Mammoth at the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix.

Action continued in Bad Gastein Tuesday with a nighttime parallel slalom. The American competitors include Chris Klug, Lisa Kosglow and Adam Smith.

Snowboard World Cup
Bad Gastein, Austria
January 5, 2004
Women’s SBX Final
1. Lindsey Jacobellis, Bondville, Vt.
2. Dominque Maltais, Canada
3. Maria Danielsson, Sweden
4. Tanja Uhlmann, Switzerland
5. Julie Pamagalski, France

Men’s SBX Final
1. Tom Velisek, Canada
2. Xavier Delerue, France
3. Sylvian Duclos, France
4. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
5. Marco Huser, Switzerland
Also:
42. Jason Smith, Basalt, Colo.
51. Ben Jacobellis, Bondville, Vt.
52. Jayson Hale, Sierraville, Calif.
67. Seth Wescott, Farmington, Maine