Thanks to a second win of the season, the former Olympic and world champion now has a slender five-point lead over Italy's Michela Moioli.

France's Julia Pereira de Sousa Mabileau came second and the United States' Lindsey Jacobellis was third.

Olympic champion Moioli recahed the big final but finished last.

Samková and Moioli each have two wins after four races; second place was Olympic silver medallist Pereira de Sousa Mabileau's best finish of the season and Jacobellis now has back-to-back podiums.

Britain's Charlotte Bankes - the world champion - France's Chloé Trespeuch, American Faye Gulini and France's Manon Petit-Lenoir were fifth to eighth in the small final, in that order.

In the men's competition, Éliot Grondin of Canada claimed his first career World Cup win, moving into second in the men's overall standings.

The world bronze medallist is now vying for the overall FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup title at the young age of 19.

Austria's Lukas Pachner made the podium for the first time since 2017, winning silver ahead of Italy's Lorenzo Sommariva, who came third.

It is Sommariva's second bronze medal of the season, following on from a successful campaign a year ago where he won two races and finished second in the standings.

World Cup leader Alessandro Hämmerle of Austria was fourth, so lost a chunck of his lead due to Grondin's performance, but still sits eight points ahead.

Italy's Omar Visintin won the small final ahead of The Netherlands' Glenn de Blois, Japan's Yoshiki Takahara and France's Merlin Surget. 

De Blois sits third in the overall standings with Sommariva and Surget in fourth and fifth, but they are all more than 80 points off Hämmerle.

A second Word Cup leg is scheduled to take place tomorrow in Bakuriani.