Mentel-Spee, the strong favourite following her superb performance at the Paralympics last year, beat off competition from United States' Heidi Jo Duce, while Dutch compatriot Lisa Bunschoten was third.

Australian Joany Badenhorst was expected to be the 42-year-old's main rival but she could not quite finish on the podium.

The result caps off a memorable season for Mentel-Spee, who has dominated in the newly-introduced women's lower-limb class SB-LL2 snowboard-cross and banked slalom World Cup campaign by winning every single one of her races.

There was more success for The Netherlands as banked slalom world number one Chris Vos reigned supreme in the men's SB-LL1 event, ousting Norway's Kristian Moen to take gold, while Serafim Pikalov of Russia finished third.

In the SB-LL2 men's category, Matti Suur-Hamani caused a slight surprise as he claimed the win ahead of Paralympic champion Evan Strong of the United States.

Chris Vos rounded off a superb day for The Netherlands as he won the SB-LL1 competition ©Getty Images



The Americans had monopolised the event at Sochi 2014 as Strong took gold while Mike Shea and Keith Gabel won silver and bronze respectively, but there was to be no repeat as Canada's Alex Massie came through to round off the podium.

Elsewhere, Brenna Huckaby of America clinched victory in the eagerly-anticipated women's SB-LL1 division as Frenchwoman Cecile Hernandez-Cervellon couldn't quite go one better than her Paralympic silver, and Huckaby's teammate Nicole Roundy won bronze.

Italy dominated the men's upper-limb impairment competition as Manuel Cozzerle edged out teammate Roberto Cavicchi who took silver, while Great Britain's Ben Moore fell just shy of an historic first gold for his nation as he came third.

The World Championships continue on Saturday (February 28) with the banked slalom events for all classifications.

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