NSWIS snowboard cross riders Cam Bolton and Josie Baff have finished the season impressively at a double World Cup event in Mont Saint Anne, Canada, where Bolton claimed silver medals on both days and bronze for Baff on day two after just missing a medal on day one.
Bolton finished the season in a career best ranking of third on the World Cup standings, while in the women’s standings Baff just missed her career best ranking, finishing in fourth place with teammate Belle Brockhoff sixth.
Bolton won each round of the finals to advance to the big-final, where he would face off against world number one Eliot Grondin of Canada who had already secured the World Cup Crystal Globe for the season. In the big-final Grondin led from start to finish to take the gold, with Bolton making two impressive passing moves down the course to claim the silver in a photo finish where he edged out German Leon Ulbricht in third.
For Bolton, the silver medal was his fourth podium of the winter and ended his season in career best form.
“First time for sure in the top-3 (on the standings), and these things are pretty hard to win, so very happy to come away with it” said the 33-year-old from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.
“Always tricky to back up the second race in a double event, but the sun has come out and the course is maintained so well and an absolute pleasure to race today and was able to come up and put in a pretty good performance and happy with my result and of course the overall.”
Also in action in the men's event was Adam Lambert, who won the small-final to finish in fifth place on day one but was well back in 32nd on day two.
In the women’s event on day one, Baff just missed the podium in fourth place, with Mia Clift making it through to semi-finals for the first time in her career in eighth and Belle Brockhoff in ninth.
On day two Baff and Brockhoff both made it through to the semi-final stage, where Baff won her semi-final to advance to the big-final, while Brockhoff just missed in third. In the small final to decide places five to eight, Brockhoff was also third and finished in seventh.
The women’s big-final featured the top four in the world, and it did not disappoint with tight racing to the finish line. Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain took the victory ahead of Italian Michela Moioli in second and Baff third, to just finish ahead of world number one, Chloe Trespeuch of France.
Baff now has nine World Cup career podiums, five coming this season.
“It was super-fun, I really wanted to do one better after yesterday (fourth place), and I managed to do that, I would have loved something more, but I am very satisfied with the third” said the 21-year-old from Jindabyne in the NSW Snowy Mountains.
“It was super tight racing with all of the girls, and I think we all showed our best riding and wanted to give it our best for the last two races of the season.”
Trespeuch of France finished first on the women’s World Cup standings on 792 points, followed by Bankes on 757, Moioli 704 and Baff 608.
19-year-old Mia Clift from Melbourne was awarded the FIS Snowboard Cross female rookie of the year, after a promising first full World Cup season, which included a personal best finish of eighth on day one in Mont Saint Anne, and a final ranking of 19th on the standings.
Canadian Eliot Grondin ended well ahead in the men’s standings to finish on 952 points, Austrian Alessandro Haemmerle was second on 604, and Bolton third with 552. Adam Lambert finished the season ranked 12th and Jarryd Hughes was 30th after missing the final three events due to injury.
Bolton finished the season in a career best ranking of third on the World Cup standings, while in the women’s standings Baff just missed her career best ranking, finishing in fourth place with teammate Belle Brockhoff sixth.
Bolton won each round of the finals to advance to the big-final, where he would face off against world number one Eliot Grondin of Canada who had already secured the World Cup Crystal Globe for the season. In the big-final Grondin led from start to finish to take the gold, with Bolton making two impressive passing moves down the course to claim the silver in a photo finish where he edged out German Leon Ulbricht in third.
For Bolton, the silver medal was his fourth podium of the winter and ended his season in career best form.
“First time for sure in the top-3 (on the standings), and these things are pretty hard to win, so very happy to come away with it” said the 33-year-old from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.
“Always tricky to back up the second race in a double event, but the sun has come out and the course is maintained so well and an absolute pleasure to race today and was able to come up and put in a pretty good performance and happy with my result and of course the overall.”
Also in action in the men's event was Adam Lambert, who won the small-final to finish in fifth place on day one but was well back in 32nd on day two.
In the women’s event on day one, Baff just missed the podium in fourth place, with Mia Clift making it through to semi-finals for the first time in her career in eighth and Belle Brockhoff in ninth.
On day two Baff and Brockhoff both made it through to the semi-final stage, where Baff won her semi-final to advance to the big-final, while Brockhoff just missed in third. In the small final to decide places five to eight, Brockhoff was also third and finished in seventh.
The women’s big-final featured the top four in the world, and it did not disappoint with tight racing to the finish line. Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain took the victory ahead of Italian Michela Moioli in second and Baff third, to just finish ahead of world number one, Chloe Trespeuch of France.
Baff now has nine World Cup career podiums, five coming this season.
“It was super-fun, I really wanted to do one better after yesterday (fourth place), and I managed to do that, I would have loved something more, but I am very satisfied with the third” said the 21-year-old from Jindabyne in the NSW Snowy Mountains.
“It was super tight racing with all of the girls, and I think we all showed our best riding and wanted to give it our best for the last two races of the season.”
Trespeuch of France finished first on the women’s World Cup standings on 792 points, followed by Bankes on 757, Moioli 704 and Baff 608.
19-year-old Mia Clift from Melbourne was awarded the FIS Snowboard Cross female rookie of the year, after a promising first full World Cup season, which included a personal best finish of eighth on day one in Mont Saint Anne, and a final ranking of 19th on the standings.
Canadian Eliot Grondin ended well ahead in the men’s standings to finish on 952 points, Austrian Alessandro Haemmerle was second on 604, and Bolton third with 552. Adam Lambert finished the season ranked 12th and Jarryd Hughes was 30th after missing the final three events due to injury.
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