LANDGRAAF, Netherlands (Oct. 12) - Erica Mueller (Steamboat Springs, CO) led U.S. Snowboarding with an eighth place finish in parallel slalom as the alpine snowboarding World Cup season opened on SnowWorld's indoor slope.
Mueller qualified 14th then ousted the No. 3 qualifier Claudia Riegler of Austria in the first round. In the quarterfinal, she fell behind local rider Nicolien Sauerbreij early in the first dual and couldn't make up the difference. Sauerbreij went on to finish third.
U.S. Snowboarding moves directly from SnowWorld to outdoor training in Austria. There the team will prepare for the first parallel giant slalom of the season slated for Oct. 20-21 on the Rettenbach Glacier above Soelden.
FIS Snowboarding World Cup Landgraaf, NED - Oct. 12, 2007 Parallel Slalom
Women (top 16 qualify) 1. Amelie Kober, Germany 2. Heidi Neururer, Austria 3. Nicolien Sauerbreij, Netherlands 4. Ilona Ruotsalainen, Finland - 8. Erica Mueller, Steamboat Springs, CO
For complete results: www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?cal_suchsector=SB&event_id=23195
