The 31-year-old narrowly beat Olympic bronze medallist Chloe Trespeuch of France in the big final to add to the titles she won in 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Italy’s Michela Moioli rounded out the podium, while compatriot Raffaella Brutto finished sixth behind Bulgaria's Alexandra Jekova and France’s Manon Petit in fourth and fifth respectively.

"I just tried to give it everything I could and not really be distracted by other riders who were coming to peripheral vision," Jacobellis, a 10-time snowboard cross gold medallist at the Winter X Games, said.

"As soon as you get distracted you miss the transition.

"Everything was so quick - you had to be super precise."

In the equivalent men’s event, Olympic champion Pierre Vaultier of France secured his first-ever world title.

The 29-year-old held off home favourite Lucas Eguibar in the big final to break his duck on a fifth World Championship appearance. 

Austria's Alex Pullin took the bronze medal, while the US's Nick Baumgartner, New Zealand’s Duncan Campbell and Australia’s Adam Lambert completed the top six in that order. 

World number one Omar Visintin of Italy was eliminated in the penultimate round.

"It's overwhelming," Vaultier, a four-time crystal globe winner with 19 World Cup victories to his name, said.

"I want to cry but I won't.

"I have been waiting so long for this.

"I’m going to need a couple of days to realise what just happened."

Action in Sierra Nevada is due to continue tomorrow with the men’s and women’s snowboard cross team events.