NSWIS rider Josie Baff claimed the sixth World Cup podium of her career, placing second overnight at the second Sierra Nevada Snowboard Cross World Cup event in Spain, in what could be described as her very own “Steven Bradbury” moment.
In the women’s final, the 21-year-old was trailing at the back of the field and looking likely to miss the podium, but on the finish line, race leaders Chloe Trespeuch of France and Great Britain’s Charlotte Bankes sensationally collided, leaving Italy's Michela Moioli and Baff to cross the line and take the gold and silver medals.
As the race jury reviewed the contact, both riders remained down. Trespeuch was lying flat on her back only centimetres on the wrong side of the finish line, while Bankes had the presence of mind to shuffle over it on her backside. With the result confirmed, a concerned Baff then dashed back from the finish area to help Trespeuch onto her feet, while Bankes was able to walk gingerly down the slope alongside Moioli.
Teammate Belle Brockhoff was unfortunately on the wrong side of the close racing on the tight course in Spain, when the three-time Olympian was taken out in her quarter-final heat during a three-rider collision. Brockhoff was subsequently advanced to the semi-final, but was unable to start after the crash, giving her a final ranking of eighth.
The third female rider in the top-16 for Australia was 19-year-old NSWIS rider Mia Clift, who had a personal best result after finishing in 12th place.
“Today was a lot of fun,” said the 2023 World Championship medallist Baff from Jindabyne in the NSW Snow Mountains.
“I was making a few mistakes in the earlier heats and I’m glad I was able to get my head in the right place and be in the game.”
“I seem to have been in a small-final curse for the last couple of races, so I was super happy to make the big-final. Hopefully everyone can get to Cortina in good nick – there was a nasty crash in the final, so I hope everyone is all good and ready to race again.”
In the men’s event NSWIS riders Cam Bolton and Adam Lambert both performed well making it through to the small-final, finishing in fifth and sixth place respectively. Also in action for Australia was Jarryd Hughes in 24th and Declan Dent 59th.
The podium performance sees Baff move into third place on the FIS World Cup standings on 333 points, trailing Trespeuch in first place on 490, with Brockhoff in fifth with 323.
Canadian Eliot Grondin is in first place on the men’s standings with 620 points, with Bolton in third place on 292 and Lambert in ninth on 177.
Five events remain this season, with the next event set to take place on March 9 in Cortina d’Amprezzo, Italy, site of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
In the women’s final, the 21-year-old was trailing at the back of the field and looking likely to miss the podium, but on the finish line, race leaders Chloe Trespeuch of France and Great Britain’s Charlotte Bankes sensationally collided, leaving Italy's Michela Moioli and Baff to cross the line and take the gold and silver medals.
As the race jury reviewed the contact, both riders remained down. Trespeuch was lying flat on her back only centimetres on the wrong side of the finish line, while Bankes had the presence of mind to shuffle over it on her backside. With the result confirmed, a concerned Baff then dashed back from the finish area to help Trespeuch onto her feet, while Bankes was able to walk gingerly down the slope alongside Moioli.
Teammate Belle Brockhoff was unfortunately on the wrong side of the close racing on the tight course in Spain, when the three-time Olympian was taken out in her quarter-final heat during a three-rider collision. Brockhoff was subsequently advanced to the semi-final, but was unable to start after the crash, giving her a final ranking of eighth.
The third female rider in the top-16 for Australia was 19-year-old NSWIS rider Mia Clift, who had a personal best result after finishing in 12th place.
“Today was a lot of fun,” said the 2023 World Championship medallist Baff from Jindabyne in the NSW Snow Mountains.
“I was making a few mistakes in the earlier heats and I’m glad I was able to get my head in the right place and be in the game.”
“I seem to have been in a small-final curse for the last couple of races, so I was super happy to make the big-final. Hopefully everyone can get to Cortina in good nick – there was a nasty crash in the final, so I hope everyone is all good and ready to race again.”
In the men’s event NSWIS riders Cam Bolton and Adam Lambert both performed well making it through to the small-final, finishing in fifth and sixth place respectively. Also in action for Australia was Jarryd Hughes in 24th and Declan Dent 59th.
The podium performance sees Baff move into third place on the FIS World Cup standings on 333 points, trailing Trespeuch in first place on 490, with Brockhoff in fifth with 323.
Canadian Eliot Grondin is in first place on the men’s standings with 620 points, with Bolton in third place on 292 and Lambert in ninth on 177.
Five events remain this season, with the next event set to take place on March 9 in Cortina d’Amprezzo, Italy, site of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Sierra Nevada WC #1: Small-final for Brockhoff and Baff
In the first of two snowboard cross World Cup events in Sierra Nevada, Spain, the competition was held under difficult conditions, with poor visibility forcing a number of course delays throughout the event.
Belle Brockhoff and Josie Baff both advanced through to the semi-final round and were drawn in the same heat, but unfortunately finished outside the top-two required to advance to the big-final, which relegated both to the small-final consolation round to decide places five to eight.
In the small final, Brockhoff finished third and had a final ranking of seventh, with Baff one place behind in eighth. Mia Clift just missed out qualifying for the top-16 finals, finishing 18th.
In the men's event, Cam Bolton was the only Australian rider to qualify for finals, finishing in 23rd place, with NSWIS teammates Adam Lambert 36th, Jarryd Hughes 42nd and Declan Dent 61st.
In the first of two snowboard cross World Cup events in Sierra Nevada, Spain, the competition was held under difficult conditions, with poor visibility forcing a number of course delays throughout the event.
Belle Brockhoff and Josie Baff both advanced through to the semi-final round and were drawn in the same heat, but unfortunately finished outside the top-two required to advance to the big-final, which relegated both to the small-final consolation round to decide places five to eight.
In the small final, Brockhoff finished third and had a final ranking of seventh, with Baff one place behind in eighth. Mia Clift just missed out qualifying for the top-16 finals, finishing 18th.
In the men's event, Cam Bolton was the only Australian rider to qualify for finals, finishing in 23rd place, with NSWIS teammates Adam Lambert 36th, Jarryd Hughes 42nd and Declan Dent 61st.
RSS Feed
