It was Austria Day on Sunday at Gore Mountain where the nation dominated the men’s and women’s parallel slalom, the final snowboard event of the 2023 FISU World University Lake Placid competition.

After winning the silver medal 24 hours earlier in the parallel giant slalom, Carmen Kainz won gold with a time of 37.54. The podium was completed by Flurina Bätschi from Switzerland and Nadia Hapatyn from Ukraine.

Countless Austrian team members in red jackets circled the track, applauding and shouting words of encouragement as the delegation celebrated and enjoyed every moment of the final day of competition.

“It’s great to be part of this delegation. Today was really the best day; the guys did a great job, I made it… We have an excellent team,” said Kainz, who admits he loves corners and speed.

“The Lake Placid Games were amazing. I’m used to competing in the European Cup, which is much smaller.

“It was a great event, with great people and a very nice organization, so I couldn’t be happier,” summed up the student at the University of Linz.

Among men, Matthäus Pink won the final with a time of 34.24, defeating compatriot Dominik Stefan Burgstaller (34.75), and the bronze medal was won by Ukrainian Mykhailo Kharuk (34.47).

“It’s fun to ride with all my friends. I’ve known these guys since I was a kid! Just before the final, we said to each other that what matters is whether we like the race, not who will be ahead of the second.

It was the perfect ending to Pink’s first trip to Lake Placid.

“Traveling to America is also great fun for us. The snow here can be completely different than in Europe, but today was quite similar and that helped me do well.”

Written by Louis Gilles and Julieta Boschiazzo, FISU Young Reporters

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