Vaultier triumphs as Olympic champion Visintin falters

The Frenchman dominated proceedings in the Spanish resort for his very first world title, having already won Olympic gold at Sochi 2014.

Out on his own in the quarter-final and semi-final contests, Vaultier had to scrap a little more in the final race to oust home favourite Lucas Eguibar and cross the finish line ahead by more than a board's length.

The 29-year-old's victory at his fifth World Championship attempt completes his raid on the discipline; Vaultier has already won four crystal globes (2008, 2010, 2012 and 2016), thanks to his 19 World Cup victories and 28 podium finishes.

His task was made easier by the elimination of world no. 1 Omar Visintin at the semi-final stage, and was France's second gold of the championships after Perrine Laffont's moguls triumph.

Austria's Alex Pullin took the bronze medal, pipped by Eguibar by fractions of a second, while Nick Baumgartner of the USA and Kiwi Duncan Campbell made up the final group.

Sportsbeat 2017