Torino Olympian Jo Shaw has won gold in parallel slalom in the opening round of the US Snowboarding Race to the Cup series in Copper Mountain.

Shaw qualified in third place and met Swedish rider Aprilia Hagglof in the semi-final round, going down narrowly in the opening run, but bouncing back to take the second run by a decisive margin.

In the final she was too strong for Kimiko Zakreski, defeating the Canadian in both runs, and posting a 500 point personal best along the way.

The previous day, the 24-year-old Victorian rider has finished fourth in the first round of the Colorado event.

This was the first event for Shaw since the Olympics, and comes on the back of just four weeks' training. She has spent the Australian winter working on her core strength and fitness at the Victorian Institute of Sport.
Shaw now travels to Europe for the next round of the World Cup in San Viglio di Marebbe, Italy.

Australia's halfpipe riders are also in action this weekend at the World Cup in Saas-Fee, with OWI scholarship holders Andrew Burton and Ben Johnson being eliminated in the qualifying round of the Swiss event.

Johnson placed 15th in the first qualifying heat with 20.3 points, and Burton was well down in the second qualifying heat in 19th place.

Holly Crawford starts her World Cup campaign tonight, Australian summer time.