Saturday, 4 October, LIUZHOU (China): Teddy Pons, Jeremy Poret and Jennifer Menard capped a near perfect weekend in Liuzhou for France, celebrating a famous World Championship hat-trick in Runabout, Ski and Ski Ladies at the Grand Prix of China.
Five years after winning his first World title in Liuzhou in 2009, Teddy Pons regained it in the same city after winning race 1 this morning, but unlike his Wold title winning compatriots was not able to celebrate the overall Grand Prix win, breaking down on lap 13 of race 2.
Race 2 honours went to Sweden’s Lars Akerblom, his first win on the UIM-ABP tour also giving him his first Grand Prix title finishing ahead of Francois Medori who took third overall, with Poland’s Andrzej Wisniewski taking his first overall podium finish in second place after finishing third in both races.
The newly crowned Ski World Champion Jeremy Poret signed off his season in the most emphatic manner, completing the race win double over his American rival Chris MacClugage to win his second Grand Prix of the year and reclaim the World title he last held in 2012.
Poret led from start-to-finish but was unable to shake off the persistent challenge from MacClugage, but held on to take the chequered flag, his fifth win of the year. Spain’s Nacho Armillas grabbed his second podium of the year finishing in third place in both races.
In Ski Ladies Jennifer Menard celebrated her first full season on the UIM-ABP tour rounding out her year with a sixth race win and third GP title to become World Champion for the first time, finishing ahead of Spain’s Sandra Fernandez Rodriguez and title rival and World runner-up Estelle Poret.
Going into the final heat of Freestyle just one question remained unanswered, could the World Champion Rok Florjancic produce the perfect routine and get the perfect score?
After watching both Roberto Mariani and then brother Nac produce two outstanding performances, scoring 84 and 95 points respectively, the 29-year-old from Maribor in Slovenia produced a near-perfect set of tricks, sealing his second consecutive World title with a score off 99 out of a 100.