The Czech Republic’s Veronika Vojtova and Germany’s Stefan Hengst are the 2019 ICF extreme slalom world champions after frenetic finals in Prague on Sunday.

Vojtova found herself up against 2017 world champion, Caroline Trompeter of Germany, and 2019 overall leader, American Ashley Nee, but kept her composure in front of a passionate home crowd to grab the gold.

“It was a perfect day for me, because I managed to win at home,” Vojtova said.

“My slalom run was not good before all the local fans, but now I am a world champion in slalom cross. What a super day.

“My last run was in Rio last year. I had many plans, but this is slalom cross, it’s a crazy time. My start was not good in the final, so I just had to wait for my time.”

Vojtova beat Russia’s Polina Mukhgaleeva, with Trompeter picking up the bronze.

Hengst also had a tough final, which included 2017 world champion and hometown favourite, Vavrinec Hradilek. But the German went out hard early and held on to finish ahead of Russia’s Nikita Gubenko and Brazil’s Pedro Goncalves.

“I enjoyed today a lot, it’s so good to race here in front of the Czech people,” he said.

“You can have a race plan, but it will not work. You have to react, and see what the others will do, and hope that you react right and go for the right line. Sometimes it goes good for you.

“I hope we can combine this more in the future, to maybe get it in the Olympics. That would be nice.”

In the overall extreme slalom world cup standings, American Ashley Nee came out on top in the women’s competition, ahead of Caroline Trompeter and Polina Mukhgaleeva.

In the men’s competition it was Hradilek who took the season title, ahead of Goncalves, with Great Britain’s Etienne Chappell third.

Czech Veronika Vojtova extreme slalom 2019 Prague

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