A red hot Michelle Gorgone (Sudbury, MA) nailed her fifth top-10 of the season Friday with a fourth place parallel giant slalom finish at the first of two Japanese World Cup races. Gorgone was then matched by teammate and 2002 Olympic bronze medalist Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) with fourth for the men. It was Klug's fifth World Cup final of the season, but his first top-5 result.

Also crowding the top-20 where fellow U.S. Snowboarding riders Stacia Hookom (Edwards, CO) in 16th and Rosey Fletcher (Girdwood, AK) in 19th. On the men's side Landgraaf winner Adam Smith (Tangent, OR) was 11th with Eric Warren (Bennington, VT) in 18th.

"It's great to feel like I can ride with the best consistently," said Gorgone, who nearly lost to women's winner Daniela Mueli of Swizterland. "Getting top results is definitely adding to my confidence and that's helping me through all my races, but the cool thing is that foreign coaches are now giving me compliments."

Gorgone posted her season's first top-10 result with a third place finish in Whistler just before the New Year and has been on a tear ever since, finishing out of the top-15 only once in Slovenia. At 20-years-old, Gorgone is one of the youngest on the World Cup tour and this is only her second official year as a full-time World Cup rider.

"It makes each race a whole lot easier when your results are there and my nerves don't get to me so much anymore," said Gorgone, who has raced in Japan three times. "The course was beautiful and stayed nice all day. In my first race with Meuli I was ahead of her for most of it, then made a small mistake and finished .5 back. Then we were even in the second race until I made a mistake in the same spot and she edged me by .17 - she's just such a solid rider, that's why she's the best right now."

Klug, who hit the podium twice in Japan in 2001, praised the day as the best all year. The mountain received over a foot of snow throughout the week creating what Klug described as a luge style course with smooth banked walls.

"I was so stoked because it was just an absolute bluebird day with great snow - easily the only World Cup we've raced in with the exception of the indoor race at Landgraaf where it wasn't either puking snow or freezing cold," said Klug. "I've had a few podiums here in the past and I was close to getting one today, but we've got another race tomorrow and I'll be going for it." After ousting World Cup overall leader Jasey Jay Anderson of Canada in the first dual, Klug defeated Austrian Andreas Prommegger before falling short against men's winner Mathieu Bozzetto of France.

"I was close and am feeling really confident about my riding, but the real race is with Smith and Warren - we're in an FIS points battle for bragging rights on the U.S. team and I think Smith has still got the edge, but I'm gaining on him," joked Klug.

FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP
Women's Parallel Giant Slalom

1. Daniela Mueli, Switzerland
2. Doris Guenther, Austria
3. Tomoka Takeuchi, Japan
4. Michelle Gorgone, Sudbury, Mass.
5. Sara Fischer, Sweden

Ð 16. Stacia Hookom, Edwards, Colo.
19. Rosey Fletcher, Girdwood, Alaska

Men's Parallel Giant Slalom
1. Mathieu Bozzetto, France
2. Simon Schoch, Switzerland
3. Daniel Biveson, Sweden
4. Chris Klug, Aspen, Colo.
5. Siegried Grabner, Austria

Ð 11. Adam Smith, Tangent, Ore.
18. Eric Warren, Bennington, Vt.
27. Ryan McDonald, Entiat, Wash.

— Courtesy, US Snowboard Team