Favourite Daniela Meuli has grabbed Switzerland's third Olympic snowboarding gold, beating German outsider Amelie Kober in the women's parallel giant slalom final.

Meuli's triumph was Switzerland's fifth gold of the Turin Games and followed Philipp Schoch's victory in the men's parallel giant slalom on Wednesday and Tanja Frieden's win in the women's snowboard cross.

Meuli, the World Cup leader, eased through qualifying and the early heats but had a slice of luck in the final when 18-year-old Kober tumbled and was also fortunate in her semi-final when Rosey Fletcher of the US slipped when leading.

Fletcher took bronze in the third/fourth place play-off after Austria's Doris Guenther fell while 2002 champion Isabelle Blanc of France went out in the last 16 to compatriot Julie Pomagalski after riding too wide into a gate.

Like the men's competition, riders were faster through the blue gates than the red, even though the parallel courses are meant to be as identical as possible. However, competitors were able to race both courses in each round.

Meuli, 24, had a scare in her quarter-final when she eased off before the line with Pomagalski nearly overtaking her. Meuli had been handed a head start in the second run after Pomagalski smashed into a gate and lost time in the first race.

Kober, 25th in the 2005 World Championships, had a nerve-jangling run to the final, coming from behind to win in her last 16 race and beating Russia's Svetlana Boldikova in a near photo finish in the quarters.

The student's semi-final against Guenther was easier after the Austrian slipped when clipping a gate like so many other riders on the day.

Russia's Ekaterina Tudigescheva topped qualifying earlier but could only finish fifth after the knockout rounds.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP