ROSA KHUTOR, Russia, February 22 (R-Sport) - Vic Wild of Russia slid to a second gold medal at the Sochi Olympics on Saturday, beating Slovenia's Zan Kosir to win the parallel slalom title in snowboarding.
Wild, the surprise winner of the giant slalom on Wednesday, was 0.11 seconds quicker than giant slalom bronze medalist Koser over the course of two runs at a sun-drenched Extreme Park.
Wild called the win: "Beyond believable. When I came to the Olympics and showed up I had already won," the 27-year-old said "To win the other day was the greatest feeling of my life. I can't believe it."
He appeared to have lost any chance of gold when he slipped in his semifinal against Austria's Benjamin Karl, but an incredible second run saw the Washington state native make up the 1.12 second deficit to sneak into the final.
Karl took the bronze when his small final opponent, Aaron March of Italy, quit his run early after a slip.
Slovenia's world champion Rok Marguc tore through a gate early in his quarterfinal and was eliminated.
Nevin Galmarini, the Swiss silver medalist in the giant slalom, took too tight a line through one gate and was unable to make the next, losing his quarterfinal heat to Kosir.
Wild's surprise parallel giant slalom gold on Wednesday came minutes after his wife Alena Zavarzina won bronze in the women's event.
Zavarzina, who was eliminated from Friday's normal slalom, played a key role in Wild's decision to switch allegiances to Russia in time for the 2011-12 season, citing the low funding for Alpine snowboard events in the U.S.
Since then, Wild has become a snowboard heavyweight, winning world championship bronze last year and taking his first World Cup win in parallel slalom this season.
(Updates with minor edits)
