Claiming the top podium spot in a time of 1min 39.52sec, the 28-year-old two-time World Cup winner was delighted to mark his last race of the season with a gold medal.

"The last race of the season and I finished in first place," Razzoli (pictured top) told insidethegames.

"I'm happy because it was difficult conditions today but a beautiful race.

"I won three years ago in Pila at the first CISM World Winter Games and now I've done the second."

Today's victory also helped to boost Razzoli's confidence in his ability to take home a gold medal from the next Winter Olympics in Sochi next year.

"I won the gold in Vancouver and I hope to win a gold at Sochi 2014."

Following the Italian to the podium was French Olympian Maxime Tissot, who secured the silver medal in 1:40.17 – a time he was pleased with considering the challenging conditions and the tough competition he was up against.


"In alpine skiing the battle is France and Italy and today was important for the ranking of the nations but Giuliano skied very well today and he is great skier so I tried to do my best and I believe I skied very well today," he said.

"I'm happy for my second place and for my contribution to the French nation.

"A good day for me."

Speaking about the weather, Tissot explained to insidethegames "it was like the start of winter not the spring" and praised the efforts of the organisers to make the slope as manageable as possible.

"It is not easy for skiers because the weather is very wet and the goggles take fog so it's complicated to manage this but after you ski it's not a very big problem, it is just complicated to see the slope," the Vancouver 2010 athlete said.

"Today the preparation of the snow was so good so it wasn't a big problem."

Last in was Switzerland's Marco Tumler, who clocked 1:40.59 to take the bronze medal.

The women's event followed a similar pattern to the men's with the Italians winning the gold medal and the home nation silver.


Michela Azzola claimed the title in a time of 1:44.64, followed by 2011 World Championship gold medallist Anémone Marmottan in 1:45.33.

Today's silver was the second medal of the 2013 World Winter Games for Marmottan, she won bronze in the giant slalom yesterday, and although she was delighted to be winning medals for the French military team she was slight disappointed not to have secured the gold.

"I'm really happy for the medal, although I am a bit disappointed to have not won gold as it would have really helped in the country rankings for us to reach Italy who are first at the moment," she told insidethegames.

"We'll see, it is not lost yet."

Germany's Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympian Fanny Chmelar won the bronze medal in a time of 1:45.39.

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