Italian delight in inaugural mixed team event as March and Ochner claim world gold

Aaron March and Nadya Ochner are history-makers after claiming the inaugural mixed team parallel slalom World Championship title in a thrilling display on Wednesday (22 February), the final day of the alpine snowboard competition.

Competing as Italy 2, the pair beat the favoured Austria 1 duo of Andreas Prommegger and Sabine Schoeffmann in Bakuriani, Georgia, to win gold, the first ever world championship medals for each after 13 starts for Ochner and 18 for March, in any discipline.

Maurizio Bormolini and Lucia Dalmasso of Italy 1 were unable to join their compatriots on the podium after being beaten by Julie Zogg and Dario Caviezel of Switzerland 1 to the bronze medal in the small final.

“I rode really good,” said March, the first to go of the pair. “But it was easier being the first – just go and maybe be some behind or in front – but Nadya did really a great job because as second you have more pressure to close it.”

“It feels incredible,” said Ochner post-race. “I was on the start, I thought, I want to do this for me and for Aaron, he did a great job. I knew it would be hard, so I fought until the last gate. It paid off. I’m speechless.”

March, 36, also had a point to prove against his 42-year-old rival who had beaten him in the slalom quarter finals yesterday. “Prommegger yesterday, he was faster, but today I wanted to show him that I can also be fast.”

Prommegger went on to claim gold in slalom becoming the oldest world champion in the history of the FIS, but just missed out on a second world title at these championships after claiming silver alongside Schoeffmann in the team event today. This was also Schoeffmann’s second medal of this worlds having bagged bronze in women’s PSL yesterday.