SIX-time champion Gary Hunt made an emotional return to form at the fourth stop of the 2018 World Series, with a stunning victory to put a difficult 12 months well and truly behind him.

Hunt, from Eastleigh, had faced the first crisis of his career due to a mental block.

But he was back to his best to grab a much-needed first win of the season ahead of Mexico’s Jonathan Paredes in second place and American Andy Jones at Lake Lucerne.

He said: “I’m very happy to get back on top of the podium. Once you have a mental block it never really goes away; you just learn to deal with it and you grow from it.”