With what appears ideal timing, Australian snowboard cross racer Adam Lambert has sped to his first World Cup triumph in China, finding his best ever form just as the Winter Olympics loom into sight.
The 28-year-old from Jindabyne finally struck gold in his 75th career World Cup start on the second day of competition in Dongbeiya on Sunday, increasing his lead in the overall season's standings.
And his win completed another terrific weekend for the Milan/Cortina-bound Australian Olympic hopes, following World Cup wins for snowboard halfpipe king Scotty James and moguls champ Jakara Anthony, as well as podium places for monobob pilot Bree Walker and James' teammate Valentino Guseli.
Lambert's triumph, after also winning bronze in Saturday's first race, was a victory for perseverance after his nine years of battling on the World Cup circuit.
"Of course, it keeps the momentum going before the Olympics, but it's just important for me personally as an athlete, who had been competing for so long," said Lambert.
"This is my very first win and I am just so excited that it's finally happened."
On Saturday, he had called it "a privilege" to win the prestigious yellow leader's bib for the first time in his career after earning his second-straight podium of the season.
And having qualified easily in sixth on Sunday, he always looked comfortable in his new attire.
After winning his heat, finishing second in his quarter-final and coming home first in his semi, Lambert pursued Italy's Lorenzo Sommarvia in the big final, drafted to preserve energy, then pounced on the home stretch before holding on for a narrow victory over Austrian Alessandro Haemmerle and American Nathan Pare.
It was a euphoric moment for Lambert, who had previously recorded eight career podium finishes but had never stood atop the podium.
"I came in today and yesterday with a pretty solid plan, and that was to not lead at the beginning, but finish first at the bottom, and I managed to execute that to perfection. I can't believe it, I am so stoked," he said.
He has increased his World Cup lead to 59 points, having accumulated 220pts from his three competitions, with Canada's Eliot Grondin second on 161.
In the women's race, Lambert's long-time Jindabyne neighbour Josie Baff, who was leading the women's standings after winning silver on Saturday, didn't make the big final, and had to settle for fifth place overall by winning the small final.
It meant her lead in the overall World Cup standings was grabbed by Britain's Charlotte Bankes, who finished third in the final behind French winner Julia Nirani‑Pereira.
There was an Australian finalist, though, with Mia Clift delivering her best performance of the season and only narrowly missing the podium in fourth place in the big final.
The Australian racers will next head off to Europe to train ahead of the Games, which begin on February 6.
In the women's slopestyle in Laax, the day after James's brilliant halfpipe win, 16-year-old snowboard prodigy Abby Hickman could only finish ninth, as Japan's Kokomo Murase won her fifth World Cup competition.
In the men's event, Guseli came 17th as Frenchman Romain Allemand took gold.
