Bunschoten seals maiden IPC Snowboard World Cup win on home snow in Landgraaf

Lisa Bunschoten of The Netherlands sealed her maiden IPC Snowboard World Cup victory ©Netherlands Ski Federation

Lisa Bunschoten of The Netherlands sealed her maiden International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Snowboard World Cup victory as she reigned supreme in the women’s banked slalom SB-LL2 event on home snow in Landgraaf today.

The Dutchwoman powered home in a time of 39.84sec to finish comfortably ahead of American Heidi Jo Duce, while Enya van Egmond, also of The Netherlands, came through to take third.

Bunschoten dedicated her win to absent compatriot Bibian Mentel-Spee, gold medallist at the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games in the snowboard cross event, who was unable to compete as she is continuing to undergo treatment for cancer.

“I’m very happy with my first World Cup win and I’m happy to have kept the gold for the Netherlands,” Bunschoten said.

“Of course it is sad and strange that Bibian Mentel is not here.

“She is still recovering from surgery but she told me to go out and win the gold here.

“It’s great it worked out.

“I’ve been training very hard this winter and this is a great start of a new season.”

Dutchman Chris Vos got off to the best possible start in defence of his IPC Snowboard World Cup crown with victory in the SB-LL1 event ©Getty Images

American Mike Shea, the defending overall World Cup champion, got his campaign off to the perfect start by taking the men’s SB-LL2 honours in 29.92.

That proved enough for him to clinch gold in front of compatriot Keith Gabel, while Finland’s Matti Suur-Hamari, bronze medallist at the 2015 World Championships in La Molina, Spain, was third.

It turned out to be a successful outing for the American team as Brenna Huckaby clocked 38.28 to edge world champion Cecile Hernandez-Cervellon of France in the women's SB-LL1.

Huckaby’s compatriot Nicole Roundy did enough to earn bronze.

The fruitful day for the United States contingent continued when Michael Minor proved too strong for the rest of the field in the men’s SB-UL, ousting world champion Patrick Mayrhofer thanks to a time of 31.38 to mark his international debut in style.

Britain’s Ben Moore picked up his nation’s only medal of the event so far as he clinched the final spot on the podium.

Elsewhere, 17-year-old Dutchman Chris Vos began the defence of his SB-LL1 World Cup crown in ominous fashion as he posted a time of 36.03, pipping Austria’s Reinhold Schett to gold, while American Mike Schultz was third.