A world cup silver medal has signalled that Wanaka para-snowboarder Carl Murphy is on his way back to top competitive form.
Murphy earned his second podium spot yesterday at the International Paralympic Committee banked slalom event staged indoors at Landgraaf in the Netherlands. The result comes off the back of a third-place finish for Murphy in the previous day's Europa Cup.
The strong field featured all the sport's big names, including the American trio of Mike Shea, Evan Strong and Keith Gabel that swept the men's snowboard cross podium at the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi earlier this year.
Disappointed with his fourth place in Sochi following an injury-marred build-up, Murphy was looking for redemption.
''It's a good feeling to put the disappointment of Sochi and my injuries behind me,'' he said.
''I rode the way I know I can. Coming away with silver proves to me that all my hard work is paying off.
''It's great to be back on the podium two days running. Although it's not gold, it's still early in the season and I am looking forward to building on this result leading to the world champs in Spain in February.''
The banked slalom has been added as a new discipline this season following the successful debut of para-snowboard cross in Sochi.
It is a timed event in which each rider does three runs of a slalom course and the combined time of their two fastest runs counts as the final result.
The slalom gates are set in either naturally banking terrain or, in this case, man-made berms, with riders required to make tight radius turns.
