Snowboard - Benjamin claimed parallel giant slalom gold at worlds

The 27-year-old Austrian, who will aim to claim a hat-trick of parallel slalom world titles in Stoneham, made relative light work of reaching the big final in Stoneham. Benjamin's biggest test on route to facing Fischnaller came in the quarter-finals where he was first beaten by Andreas Promnegger by 0.03seconds before recovering to defeat him by 9.60 second time out. He then made light work of Vic Wild in the semi-final before Fischnaller was disqualified in the first run of the big final and then beaten by the Austrian by 1.75 in the second. Meanwhile Wild recovered from defeat to Benjamin in the semi-final to beat Slovenian Zan Kosir in the small final for bronze, the Russian doing enough over the two runs. Meanwhile in the ladies' event Germany's Isabella Laboeck claimed her first World Championship title and prevented it from being an Austrian double in the parallel giant slalom. She made light work of progressing to the big final where she beat Julia Djumovtis by 1.50 in the first run and then by 0.68 second time out for her maiden world title. Germany were also celebrating in the small final as Laboeck's teammate Amelie Kober got the better of defending parallel slalom champion Hilde-Katrine Engeli of Norway to take bronze. Kober, the Olympic parallel giant slalom silver medallist from Turin 2006, was a comfortable winner beating Engeli by 0.79 on her first run before allowing a gap of just 0.26 as she claimed bronze. © Sportsbeat 2013