Italy gold at world snowboarding championships

Nadya Ochner and Aaron March take first place in the parallel team event at the Bakurian World Championships

Nadya Ochner and Aaron March took the gold medal in the parallel team event at the Bakuriani World Championships. The Italian pair, dominated Austrians Andreas Promegger and Sabine Schoeffmann in the final.

It was a great race for the Azzurri who made the clear-cut run from the first runs, all the way to the semifinals against teammates Maurizio Bormolini and Lucia Dalmasso, who finished in fourth place overall, defeated by Switzerland in the final for bronze.

Gold had been missing for Italy since 2015, when it was Roland Fischnaller who won it in the PSL in Lachtal. It is the first career rainbow medal for both Aaron March, 36, of the Army, and Nadya Ochner, 29, of the Golden Flames.

“We did a really good job,” Nadya said, “especially Aaron who was very strong from the first gates against Promegger and allowed us to take a gap that we needed to defend to win the gold. When I left for the final and we were so close, I didn’t really understand if I was in front or behind, but I knew that I got over the bump well and I had to push hard until the end and that’s what I did.”

“This is a team that has worked so hard,” Aaron said, “and today is a day that pays off. The many details we’ve taken care of, the focused preparation we’ve geared for these Worlds. It really is a perfect day. The goal is also made even more prestigious by the value of the opponents we met and overcame, from the first rounds to the very final against the favored Austrians. The whole team today became world champions-the team event represents just that. I am delighted to have won the gold that has eluded me so many times in my career.”