Australia claimed its second medal at the 2025 FIS World Championships in St Moritz-Engadin, Switzerland, with a silver medal performance from the Australia 2 team of Mia Clift and Cameron Bolton in the mixed team event. The Australia 1 team featuring Josie Baff and Adam Lambert finished sixth.
 
The podium performance is 20-year-old Clift’s first international medal at the highest level, and the first World Championship medal for the 34-year-old Bolton.
 
Both Australian teams moved through the opening quarter-final round in second place to advance to the semi-finals.
 
In the semi-final, the Australia 1 team finished third in the opening semi-final, placing them in the small final and Australia 2 also finished in third, but was advanced to the big final after a controversial penalty for contact was given to female USA 1 team rider Acy Craig who had originally crossed the line in second, eliminating them from the competition.
 
In the big final, Clift and Bolton faced teams France 1, France 2 and Switzerland 1 and first to drop were the male riders with Bolton finishing in third, 0.54 seconds behind France 2.
 
Clift quickly made up the 0.54 second differential in a very impressive ride under pressure, battling the two French teams which featured the world’s number two and three ranked female riders. Clift passed France 2 by the halfway point of the course and in a tight battle with France 1 which saw both teams exchange the lead in the final section, with Julia Pereira De Sousa of France 1 crossing the line first, 0.20 seconds ahead of Clift, with Switzerland 1 finishing third.
 
Next for the snowboard cross athletes is the final World Cup of the year in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, where a double event will take place on April 6 and 7. Baff is ranked fourth and Clift 10th on the women’s standings Bolton seventh and Lambert ninth in the men’s rankings.

NSWIS snowboard cross riders have claimed two silver medals at the World Cup in Montafon, Austria. Adam Lambert was second in the individual event and then joined with Josie Baff for another runner up placing in the mixed team event. The double podium performance gives great confidence for the Australian snowboard cross team heading into the World Championships this week in the iconic Swiss resort of St Moritz.
 
Lambert continued his great recent form to make it back-to-back individual World Cup medals, winning every heat from the round of 32 through to the semi-final to secure his place in the big-final.
 
In the big-final medal round, Lambert faced a difficult proposition against three French riders, Loan Bozzolo, Aidan Chollet and Merlin Surget. Lambert was mid-field for most of the final but worked his way into a strong position for the best run to the finish line, overtaking Chollet for second place and the fifth World Cup podium of his career. Bozzolo took the win, Chollett was third and Surgent fourth.
 
2023 World Championship silver medallist Josie Baff advanced through to her fourth big-final of the season, after crossing the line in second place in her quarter and semi-final heats. In the women’s big-final, Baff finished in fourth place, trailing French women Lea Casta in first, Julia Pereira de Sousa in second and Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain in third.
 
Other Australian results included Cameron Bolton 13th, Mia Clift 16th, Abbey Wilson 18th on debut, James Johnstone a personal best 24th, Jarryd Hughes 28th, Declan Dent 37th, Cameron Turner 46th on debut and Matthew Thomas 52nd.
 
Silver for Lambert and Baff in Mixed Team Event
 
In the mixed team event, NSWIS teammates Lambert and Baff combined for Australia’s second team’s medal of the season.
 
The pair moved through the quarter and semi-finals in second place to advance to the big-final against France 1, France 2, and Great Britain 1.
 
First to drop were the male riders and Lambert had a tough heat, almost crashing out in the middle section finishing fourth, 0.44 seconds behind leaders France 1.
 
Baff rode a super strong and fast leg in the final, making up the time differential from the men  early and then battling it out with the two French teams for the win. Baff fell just short of victory in a thrilling photo finish, missing the win by just three hundredths of a second to the France 2 team of Pereira de Sousa and Chollet. Rounding out the podium in third was the France 1 team of Casta and Bozzolo.
 
The two riders from Jindabyne in the NSW Snow Mountains were excited after  their first team medal together.
 
Lambert said, “anytime one of us is on the podium it means the world, it’s the reason we do this and seeing the hardwork paying off is amazing. Confidence breeds confidence, so coming into the World Championships with a few podiums has me believing I have what it takes to get on the box once again.”
 
Baff commented, “achieving another podium in the team event, this time with Lambo was so much fun, we’ve had a few races together already, the first being at the games and it’s very cool to see how far we have come. Going into world champs these two results give me confidence that no matter how the teams are constructed I believe the Aussie team/s will be up for the fight.”
 
Snowboard cross qualifying at the World Championships in St Moritz is on March 27 and the final the next day on March 28, then the mixed team event on the 29th. Representing Australia in the women’s event will be Josie Baff, Mia Clift, and Amber Essex and in the men’s event Adam Lambert, Cameron Bolton, Jarryd Hughes, and Declan Dent.

NSWIS riders Adam Lambert (second on day one) and Cameron Bolton (fourth on day two) have recorded strong performances at the double World Cup event in Gudauri, Georgia, where there were crashes in both the men’s and women’s events on the fast and demanding course. Unfortunately leading Australian female riders Belle Brockhoff and Josie Baff both fell sustaining injuries.

Day One: Lambert claims first medal of the season
 
Adam Lambert has achieved his first podium performance of the season, finishing second in Gudauri, giving the 27-year-old from Jindabyne in the NSW Snowy Mountains the fourth World Cup podium of his career.
 
Lambert qualified in 15th for finals, and went on to have a sensational day of head-to-head racing winning his round of 32, quarter-final and semi-final to advance through to the top four big-final medal round.
 
In the big-final, Lambert was moving between second and third place for much of the race and was fortunately ahead of a crash on the final feature involving Eliot Grondin of Canada and Elias Leitner of Austria, leaving him in second place behind winner Jakob Dusek on Austria. Grondin finished in third and Leitner fourth.
 
“The men’s big final is always really competitive, I have had a few in my time, I would like to have more, but it’s always fun to race all day and not go out in the early rounds, so I am stoked,” said Lambert.
 
“I think tomorrow I can do what I did today, I don’t want to put any unnecessary pressure on myself, I feel if I race liked I raced today I have a good chance of doing it again, but anything can happen, it’s boarder cross.”
 
In the women’s event, French riders took out the top two places, with Julia Pereira de Sousa in first, Lea Casta second and Italian Michela Moioli in third.
 
Three-time Olympian Belle Brockhoff was in strong form qualifying in third place and made it through to the small-final. Unfortunately, Brockhoff suffered a crash and was taken away by the medical services team on course, ultimately finishing in eighth place. Brockhoff was moved to a hospital in Tbilisi, Georgia, where she is undergoing further assessment with the support of Australian team medical staff.
 
World number three Josie Baff also crashed in the first round of finals finishing ninth and suffering some bruising. NSWIS teammates Mia Clift were 10th and Amber Essex 26th.
 
Other results included Cameron Bolton ninth, Jarryd Hughes 25th, Declan Dent 37th, Matthew Thomas 48th and James Johnstone 50th.

Day Two: Bolton just misses podium
 
Three-time NSWIS Olympian Cameron Bolton was unlucky not to claim a podium performance after a great day of riding on day two in Gudauri, finishing fourth in a closely contested men’s big-final.
 
Bolton advanced through the rounds of 64, 32 and quarter-finals to reach the semi-final round, where he t had an impressive race to advance in first to the big-final medal round against Julien Tomas of France, Austrian Lukas Pachner and another Frenchman Loan Bozzolo.
 
In the big final, Bolton had the early lead but was passed by Pachner and then Tomas, and then with the pack close, Bolton and Bozzolo both went down near the end of the course. Tomas went on to win, Pachner was second and Bozzolo recovered from the crash to cross the line in third leaving Bolton in fourth and uninjured
 
In the women’s event, NSWIS World Championship medallist Josie Baff did not compete on day two, choosing to recover after her crash on the previous day, Mia Clift made it back-to-back top-10’s and Amber Essex was 19th.
 
Adam Lambert finished 18th, Declan Dent had a personal best 23rd, Jarryd Hughes 27th, Mathew Thomas 36th  and James Johnstone 39th.
 
After seven World Cup events, Baff is ranked third on the women’s standings, Clift is 10th, and Bolton is sixth and Lambert ninth in the men’s rankings.
 
The next World Cup is a double event in Montafon, Austria, on March 21 and 22.

In a double World Cup event in Erzurum, Türkiye, featuring first an individual and then a mixed team race, NSWIS rider Josie Baff made a great start to the weekend with her third podium of the season in a close final that went right to the finish line.
 
Racing under sunny skies on a long demanding course, Baff started strongly winning her quarter-final and then went through to the big final medal round after crossing the line in second place in the semi-final.
 
In the big-final, Baff was in third for most of the race but came close in the final stages to be just narrowly behind Lea Casta of France in second place by 0.12 seconds, and only 0.19 behind winner Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain.
 
“This has been the most demanding course so far on tour” said the 22-year-old Baff from Jindabyne in the NSW Snowy Mountains.
 
“The high altitude has really tested a lot of us with the base level around 2500m. The course was fast too, so I’m happy to end the day with another podium.
 
“Up next is the teams event tomorrow and I’ll be paired with Cam Bolton, so I’m really looking forward to that.”
 
Three other NSWIS teammates also made it through to the women’s quarter-final top-16 stage, Belle Brockhoff was 11th in her first event of the season returning from injury, Mia Clift 13th and Amber Essex 14th.
 
In the men’s event German Leon Ulbricht was victorious, Cam Bolton was Australia’s best riding through to the quarter-finals in 16th. In the round of 32 Jarryd Hughes was 19th and Adam Lambert 26th. Missing finals at the qualification stage were Declan Dent 35th, James Johnstone 41st and Matthew Thomas 49th.
 
After five events, Baff is ranked third on the standings with 310 points, trailing Casta in second on 365 and Bankes out in front on 450. Cam Bolton is fifth on the men’s standings.

NSWIS riders Josie Baff, Cam Bolton and Mia Clift have all finished in the top-eight at the Snowboard Cross World Cup event in Cortina D’Amprezzo, Italy, with Baff the highest placed, winning the small final to finish fifth.
 
Competing under lights in a night of spectacular racing, Baff and Clift both placed second in their respective quarter-finals to advance to the semi-final round. Baff and Clift unfortunately fell in their respective semi-finals, leaving them in the small-final to decide places 5-8.
 
In the small-final, Baff raced well crossing the line in first place and a final ranking of fifth, Clift eighth and Amber Essex was 12th after making it through to the quarter-finals.
 
Three-time Olympian Cam Bolton, won his opening round of 32 heat, was second in the quarter-final and just missed advancing to the big final after crossing the line third in the semi-final. In the small final Bolton was second across the line, giving him a final rank of sixth.
 
Also in finals for Australia was Jarryd Hughes and Adam Lambert who both made it through to the quarter final stage in 10th and 14th. In qualifications, James Johnstone was 40th, Declan Dent 44th and Matthew Thomas 58th.
 
Victory went to Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain in the women’s event and Frenchman Aidan Chollet claimed his first career win in the men’s event.
 
After four events Baff is third on the World Cup standings, Clift is eighth and Essex 10th. In the men’s standings Bolton is in fifth, Lambert 18th and Hughes 20th.
 
The next stop on the World Cup tour is in Erzerum, Türkiye, from February 28 to March 2, including the first mixed team event of the season.

NSWIS riders have competed in a double snowboard cross World Cup weekend in Beidahu, China, with Josie Baff leading Australia on both days of competition with a fifth place  and silver medal performance and personal best seventh place finishes to teammates Mia Clift and Amber Essex.
 
Day One: Baff fifth and Clift seventh in small-final
 
In the first World Cup event in Beidahu, three Australian women finished in the top-10, Baff in fifth, Mia Clift a personal best seventh and Amber Essex tenth.
 
Clift and Baff were drawn in the same quarter-final, advancing to the next round in first and second place. In a closely contested semi-final, Baff and Clift just missed by a small margin at the finish line to advance to the big-final, finishing third and fourth.
 
In the small-final to decide places five to eight, Baff and Clift both exchanged leads, with Baff moving away in the bottom of the course to cross the line first, while Clift was just pipped at the finish line in third.
 
Adam Lambert and Cam Bolton made it through to the top-16 quarter-final round, finishing in 12th and 13th place respectively. Jarryd Hughes was 18th, James Johnstone 39th and Matt Thomas 53rd.
 
Day Two: Baff rides to silver
 
Josie Baff capped off her double snowboard cross World Cup weekend at Beidahu, China, by securing a silver medal, her second silver of the season and eleventh podium of her career.
 
After winning the small final on the previous day, Baff made a great start on day two wining her opening quarter-final heat.
 
In a thrilling semi-final, Baff was in a close three-way battle with Italian Michaela Moioli and Manon Petit Lenoir of France. Baff led for the first half of the race before Moioli made a pass, leaving Baff and Petit Lenoir to battle it out for second across the line to advance to the big-final medal round. Momentum looked to be going the French rider’s way, but Baff found late speed to cross the line in second by 0.03 seconds.
 
In the big-final, Great Britain’s Charlotte Bankes led from start to finish to claim victory, with Baff in second, edging out Swiss rider Sina Siegenthaler by 0.07 seconds and Moioli in fourth.
 
“It’s definitely nice after yesterday, I had some fire in my belly, it was a good result, but I wanted more” said the 22-year-old Baff from Jindabyne.
 
“Two seconds in a row now, I really want to win, I hope I can get that soon, but I was really happy to share the podium with the girls.”
 
Riding to a personal best finish of seventh was 22-year-old Amber Essex in just her fifth World Cup start and NSWIS teammate Mia Clift was 10th.
 
In the men’s event, Adam Lambert was the best placed Australian in 10th, Jarryd Hughes was 13th, Cameron Bolton 25th and James Johnstone 52nd.
 
Canadian Eliot Grondin won both men’s events in Beidahu. 

After three World Cup events, Baff is ranked equal second on the women’s standings, Clift in ninth and Essex 11th. Bolton is the highest ranked Australian on the men’s standings in eighth.
 
The next World Cup will take place in the future 2026 Olympic region of Cortina d'Amprezzo, Italy, on February 15.

At the opening FIS snowboard cross World Cup event in Cervinia, Italy, it was a double podium celebration for Australia, with Baff and Bolton finishing in second place, giving the NSWIS riders their tenth and ninth World Cup medals respectively.
 
Baff qualified in sixth place, and in the finals made it through the quarter-final round in second, then led from start to finish in the semi-final to secure her spot in the big-final medal round.
 
In the big final, Baff was just behind French rider Lea Casta for most of the race, before Baff closed in at the finish to only narrowly fall short by 0.05 seconds on the finish line. Rounding out the podium in third place was Maja-Li Iafrate Danielsson of France.
 
“My game plan for today was just to get out in front, and hope that nobody could catch me, as I knew on a course like this it could get interesting with the girls” said the 21-year-old from Jindabyne
 
“I definitely had some nerves in the first heat, and then I came into my real snowboarding in the semi-final and big-final. I really thought I could get the win in the end but Lea was just too fast and on point today, and I am happy for her to get her first career World Cup win.”
 
In the men’s event, Bolton qualified for finals in 21st place, and then raced well all day, winning his opening round heat and quarter-final, and was second in the semi-final to advance him in the big-final.
 
In the big final Bolton did well to stay clear of a mid-race near collision between reigning World Cup champion Eliot Grondin of Canada and Jacob Dusek of Austria which took Grondin out of the race. Dusek led Bolton for the remainder of the race to take the win, with Bolton’s silver medal his first career podium in Cervinia, Italian Lorenzo Sommariva was third.
 
“Another event in Cervinia and another couple of podiums, happy for Josie and nice to share the podium with her” said the 34-year-old Bolton from the Mornington Peninsula.
 
“Tricky day of racing, it was tight and all the boys were riding well, I struggled in training but then it was good in finals. I actually had some trouble in the semi-final and had a back spasm and wasn’t sure I was even going to be able to ride the finals, so super happy to come away with a second place.”
 
“Great start to the season and great event for Australia.”
 
Also in action for Australia were NSWIS teammates Amber Essex in 11th in a personal best finish, Mia Clift 14th, Jarryd Hughes in 31st, Adam Lambert 46th, and Matt Thomas 55th.

The next Snowboard Cross World Cup will take place on January 31 to February 2 in Beidahu, China.

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.

NSWIS rider Josie Baff has continued her consistent from across the 2023-2024 FIS World Cup season, with a double bronze medal performance in Montafon, Austria. Baff has now claimed four medals this season and is currently ranked fourth on the FIS World Cup standings with two events remaining.

On the first day of World Cup competition at the Austrian resort, Baff moved through to the big-final after advancing through each heat in second place. In the big-final Baff crossed the line in third, behind event winner Michela Moioli of Italy, with Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain the runner up.

In the second and final day in Montafon, Baff this time won every heat to make it through to the big-final, crossing the line in the bronze medal position to claim the eighth World Cup podium of the 21-year-old from Jindabyne’s career. Finishing ahead of Baff on the podium was Chloe Trespeuch of France with the gold medal with American Lindsey Jacobellis in silver.

Belle Brockhoff finished in 13th place on day one, then improved to reach the small-final on day two, to finishin sixth place which is also her current World Cup ranking.

19-year-old Mia Clift had two personal best performances, firstly in qualifying advancing to finals in fifth, and then finishing in ninth place on day one. On day two Clift placed 16th.

In the men’s competition, Adam Lambert was the best performed with a fifth place finish on day one, while Cam Bolton the highest placed on day two in ninth.

Unfortunately, Jarryd Hughes had a fall on day one while finishing 32nd, and forcing him out of the second day event.
Bolton is the highest ranked male on the standings in a career best third, with Adam Lambert still aiming to finish in the top-ten and improve on his current ranking of 11th.

The final competition of the World Cup season will take next weekend at Mont Saint Anne in Quebec, Canada, with two events scheduled for March 23 and 24.

Jarryd Hughes has returned to the World Cup podium for the first time in over six years, with a bronze medal performance under lights in Cortina d’Amprezzo, Italy, with four Australian riders finishing in the top-eight at the future site of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

The NSWIS rider made a great start to the event, with his best qualifying performance of the season, making it through to finals in fourth place. In finals, Hughes won his heat in the round of 32 and quarter-final to advance to the semi-final round where teammate Cameron Bolton joined him.

In the semi-final, Hughes advanced to the big-final medal round after crossing the line in second place, with Bolton in fourth place which put him in the small-final to decide places five through eight.

Hughes crossed the line in third place in the big-final to give him the fourth World Cup podium of his career, while world number one Eliot Grondin of Canada claimed the victory and Jake Veder of the USA was second. Bolton won the small-final to finish in fifth place.

In the women’s event, Josie Baff and Belle Brockhoff were both drawn in the same heat in finals, and advanced through to the semi-finals together after placing first and second in the quarter-final. In the semi-final Brockhoff placed third and Baff fourth, which put them in the small-final.

Baff won the small-final, giving her a final ranking of fifth, with Brockhoff unfortunately crashing in the bottom section after clipping a control gate and finished seventh.

After the race the 28-year-old PyeongChang Olympic silver medallist from Sydney posted on his social media.

"18-months off and third place in Cortina! Thanks to everyone who supported me through the time off. So good to be back on the box!"

Also in action for Australia was Mia Clift in 12th place, which matches her personal best World Cup result set last week in Spain, Adam Lambert was 43rd and Declan Dent 56th.

With only four events remaining in the season, Cameron Bolton is the highest ranked Australian on the World Cup standings in third place, in the women Josie Baff is fifth and Belle Brockhoff is sixth.

Next weekend a double event takes place in Montafon, Austria, on March 16 and 17.

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.

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.

It was a double medal performance for Australia in the second World Cup event in Gudauri, Georgia, Cameron Bolton replicated his silver medal from the previous day and NSWIS teammate Belle Brockhoff was also on the podium claiming a bronze medal in the women's event.

Canadian Eliot Grondin made it back-to-back victories in Gudauri, and Bolton finished second in a close photo finish over Omar Visintin of Italy.

Bolton has won two medals this season and six career medals, while improving his World Ranking from fifth to third after five events this season.

"It was pretty crazy today, it was a little bit closer than yesterday", said Bolton.

"I tried to set Eliot (Grondin) up, he's riding so well, but there is a fair bit of draft and I tried to cross him in the finish on the right hand side and absorb, but sort of missed it and caught a bit of my tail on the lip and bounced."

"When I came out of the snow cloud I sort of thought maybe my tail was in the direct of the line, and saw Omar right there, so I thought maybe I just got it, but thought he probably had it, and on the transponders too is said he was a little ahead, but the transponder was on my front foot which wasn't near the line, so stocked to get it (second place) in a photo finish."

In the women's event, Brockhoff achieved her 17th career podium and third medal of the season.

Brockhoff moved through the quarter-final and semi-final rounds in second place to reach the big-final, where she led with French rider Chloe Trespeuch for most of the race, before Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain passed both athletes at the finish line to take the win, Trespeuch second and Brockhoff third.

NSWIS teammate Josie Baff also made it through to the small final, finishing sixth for the second time in Gudauri.

"I just wanted to have fun to be honest, I had about nine hours sleep over the past two days, so I was pretty tired and had a shocker of a race yesterday, so I just needed to figure out the start section and from there I just had fun," said the 31-year-old Brockhoff from Melbourne.

"It was really good racing the three other top girls and I knew it was going to be such a fight."

The result puts Brockhoff third on the World Cup standings, with Baff just behind in fifth place.
Also in action for Australia in the men's event was Adam Lambert in 32nd and Jarryd Hughes 44th.

NSWIS snowboard cross rider Cam Bolton has claimed the fifth podium performance of his career in Gudauri, Georgia, with a silver medal performance.

At the last World Cup stop in St Moritz, Switzerland, Bolton had an uncharacteristic performance in 52nd place, which no doubt motivated the three-time Olympian to redeem himself this weekend at the Georgian resort, with his first podium performance in two years.

Bolton made a great start to the event qualifying in second place, and in finals won the round of 32, quarter-final and semi-final round to advance through to his first big-final medal round of the season.

In the big-final, world number one, Eliot Grondin from Canada, led from start to finish to claim the victory, with Bolton and 2022 Olympic gold medallist Alessandro Haemmerle of Austria doing their best to chase down the Canadian. Bolton moved ahead of Haemmerle in the bottom half of the course to take the silver, with Haemmerle settling for the bronze.

“The course was super fun, but definitely not easy to stay in front and no matter what you are always going to be attacked by the riders behind you and it was really close, but fun racing,” said the 33-year-old Bolton from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

“Definitely stoked to make it to the big-final, and it was close on that second last turn, but some really good racing from everything I saw and really enjoyable, looking forward to coming out and doing it again tomorrow.”

Also in action for Australia in the men’s event was Adam Lambert in seventh in the small final and Jarryd Hughes recording his best result of the season in 12th place.

In the women’s event 2023 World Championship medallist Josie Baff was the best placed Australian finisher in sixth after making it through to the small, while Belle Brockhoff was tenth making it thought to the quarter-final round.

NSWIS snowboarder Josie Baff has finished in fifth place in St Moritz, Switzerland, and her third top-8 performance of the season.

Baff made it through to the semi-final stage, where a small mistake saw her miss out on making it into the big-final after placing third.

In the small-final to decide places 5-8, Baff had a great race to finish first across the line for the fifth place ranking.

Three-time Olympian Belle Brockhoff finished in 9th reaching the quarter-final stage, with Mia Clift also qualifying for finals but unable to start after injuring her knee in training, giving her a final ranking of 15th.

"This is probably the closest I will get to racing at home whilst overseas with all my family here, it's been really nice," said the recently turned 21-year-old Baff from Jindabyne in NSW.

"I did a littler error in my semi-final, but I was really happy with how I performed in the small-final."

"We had a few changes to the course and it definitely sped up since yesterday, and it's been fun to try and figure out what to do with changes on the speed every run so you never know if you are going to double or stay on the ground, so learning that decision making whilst you are racing."

Adam Lambert was the highest placed finisher for Australia in the men's event in 13th, NSWIS teammates Jarryd Hughes finished in 45th and Cam Bolton was 52nd.

After three events Brockhoff is ranked third and Baff fourth on the World Cup standings, with Adam Lambert sixth, Cam Bolton eighth and Jarryd Hughes 35th in the men's standings.

The snowboard cross World Cup tour now moves to Georgia, where a double event is scheduled at the Gudauri resort.

Ski Cross World Cup
A ski cross World Cup also took place in St Moritz, where Doug Crawford finished in 38th place.
Snow Australia skier Liam Michael finished 57th on debut.

On the final day in Cervinia, Australia had their second straight fourth place result in the mixed team event, repeating their effort from the previous event in Les Deux Alpes.

This time Adam Lambert was joined by Belle Brockhoff, with the pair second in the quarter-final, and first in the semi-final to advance to the big-final medal round.

In the big final, Lambert finished the first leg in third position with all teams very close together in time.

In the final leg, Brockhoff also took part in a close final with all teams capable of taking the win, but unfortunately crossed the line in fourth to just miss a medal.

The snowboard cross athletes will now be a on a break from competition until the first World Cup of 2024 in St Moritz, Switzerland, which will take place on January 25-26.

At the snowboard cross event in Cervinia, Italy, Australia took three medals for the first time in any single wintersport competition, with Adam Lambert just falling short in a photo finish for first place, and earning a silver medal in the men’s event. Minutes earlier, Belle Brockhoff and Josie Baff were on the women’s podium together in second and third place.

In the women’s contest Brockhoff and Baff were drawn on the same side of the draw from the quarter-final stage, and managed to advance through each round to both make it to the big final.

With six riders in heats at the Italian event, the racing was close in the final, Brockhoff made a strong start, but Baff fell behind and then worked her way back to be in contention for the podium. Swiss rider Sina Siegenthaler made the passing move to the finish the line in first place just ahead of Brockhoff in second who was 0.07 second behind, Baff was next across the line in third.

In the men’s final Adam Labert raced to the third medal of his career, and was unlucky not to get the win after a photo finish showed he was behind by just two centimetres. Alessandro Haemmerle from Austria finished in front to claim the win , and Eliot Grondin of Canada was just behind Lambert in in third.

“The whole day has been crazy, and to top it off with a podium is so epic, it was so close to a gold,” said the 26-year-old Lambert from Jindabyne in the NSW Snowy Mountains.

Also competing for Australia in Cervinia were Cameron Bolton who made it through to the small final for the second time this season in eighth, Declen Dent 30th, Jarryd Hughes 46th, Kobi Dent 48th and James Johnston 59th.

In the women's event Amber Essesx and Mia Clift were 15th and 16th, giving them personal best World Cup finishes.

Australia’s female wintersport athletes have made it a four medal weekend to open the World Cup season, with aerial skier Danielle Scott claiming a silver medal in Ruka, Finland, and snowboard cross rider Belle Brockhoff finishing with a bronze in Les Deux Alpes, France, overnight.

Earlier in the weekend mogul skier Jakara Anthony took gold in Ruka and Tess Coady silver in the snowboard big air in Beijing, China.

In the French Alps Belle Brockhoff had her first podium result in almost two years, with a bronze medal performance at the snowboard cross World Cup in Les Deux Alpes.

Brockhoff qualified for finals in third place, and won her quarter-final round to advance to the semi-final, where she was matched up against teammate Josie Baff. In the semi-final, Brockhoff again was the first across the line with Baff just missing out on advancing to the big final and medal round in third place.

In the final Brockhoff made a good start, but was unable to pass Chloe Trespeuch of France who took the win. Italian rider and 2018 Olympic Champion Michela Moioli was in second and Brockhoff third, registering the 15th World Cup podium of her career.

Baff finished third in the small final to decide places five to eight, giving her a final ranking of seventh.

“It feels great, it was actually a massive relief for me, I have trained so many new things this year like bindings, boards, coach, tech, just everything, just took a risk to change it up and it’s a big relief that its’ working for me so I am very excited,” said the 30-year-old Brockhoff from Melbourne.

“In the final we all went in pretty hot fighting for that number one position, turn four is really tight and Jana (Fischer) and I got close to each other and just made the best of what we had and it was a really good day for all of us.”

In the men’s event Cam Bolton followed up his good form from the team event on the previous day to finish in fifth place after winning the small final, with Jarryd Hughes 15th in his first World Cup event since the Beijing Olympic Winter Games in February 2022.

Also in action for Australia missing out on finals racing were Amber Essex in 17th in her World Cup debut, Mia Clift 19th, James Johnstone 60th on debut, Declan Dent in 62nd and Adam Lambert 63rd.

Next up for snowboard cross is the final World Cup before Christmas with a double event scheduled to take place in Cervinia, Italy, on December 16-17. 

Josie Baff has finished the World Cup season in the best possible way, taking home victory in the final snowboard cross event of the season at Mont Sainte Anne in Canada.
 
In an impressive season for the 20-year-old Jindabyne rider, Baff opened and closed the season with World Cup victories, collecting five medals in total, which also included a spectacular silver medal performance at her first ever World Championships earlier this month, finishing the season ranked third in the world.
 
Baff advanced through the round-of-32 and quarter-final heats in second place, and then stepped it up in the semi-final crossing the line in first to advance to the big-final.
 
In the big-final, Baff had an amazing run moving into the lead just after the top section, and remained in first place holding off the other competitors all the way to the finish line to record the second victory of her World Cup career.
 
Behind Baff on the podium in second place was Austrian Pia Zerkhold, with Chloe Trespeuch of France in third.
 
“It’s awesome, my wax tech at the top said you know what, you won the first race, why don’t you win the last,” said Baff.
 
“I had a good start for the first time today, I wasn’t sure what to do when leading the pack, but I just tried to stay calm, and patient and it worked.”
 
“I was just hoping none of the girls would out draught me down the finish straight.”
 
The final standings saw Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain in first place with 723 points, Trespeuch in second with 650 and Baff third on 493.
 
Also in action for Australia was Adam Lambert, who made the small-final for the second time at Mont Sainte Anne finishing sixth.
 
Baff will now compete at the Junior World Championships in Passo San Pellegrino, Italy, on March 30-31.

Josie Baff has continued her breakthrough season with a bronze medal overnight at the snowboard cross World Cup event in Veysonnaz, Switzerland.
 
The medal is Baff’s fourth of the season, which includes the first World Cup victory of her career back in December, and a silver medal at her first ever World Championships earlier this month.
 
After qualifying seventh fastest for finals, Baff was drawn in the same side of the bracket as two-time Olympic medallist  Eva Adamczykova of the Czech Republic, with Baff advancing through the quarter and semi-final rounds in second place just behind the Czech rider to reach the big-final medal round.
 
The star-studded big-final featured the top four women on the World Cup standings, and it was a spectacular race with close side-by-side racing with Baff fighting to the end, moving into third place right at the finish line to just edge out Chloe Trespeuch of France.
 
Taking the win was Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain, with Adamczykova in second place.
 
“It was really close racing and very hot today in the sun, so I am very grateful to my coaches and wax technicians, I couldn’t have got it done without them,” said the 20-year-old Jindabyne rider.
 
“After a disappointing World Cup last week in Sierra Nevada, it’s always nice to be back on the podium.”
 
“Heading into the World Cup final in Mont Sainte-Anne and then the Junior World Championships I can definitely carry this momentum.”
 
Also in action for Australia in the men’s event was Adam Lambert who advanced through to the quarter-final stage to finish in tenth to record his second best World Cup finish of the season, with Cameron Bolton in 31st.
 
After seven World Cup events this season, Baff is ranked third on the standings on 353 points, trailing Trespeuch of France in second place with Bankes in first place on 578. In the men’s standings Cameron Bolton is in 12th and Adam Lambert 16th.   
 
The snowboard cross tour will now head to Canada for the final two World Cup events of the season in Mont Sainte-Anne on March 25-26.  

Three-time Olympian Cameron Bolton has finished the leading Australian at the World Cup snowboard cross double-header in Sierra Nevada, Spain, with a sixth place finish on the second day of competition.

In warm sunny conditions in southern Spain with temperatures reaching above ten degrees, making conditions tricky for competitors, 2023 World Championship medallist Josie Baff and Bolton both finished in ninth place on day one, with NSWIS teammate Adam Lambert in 17th.

On day two, Bolton advanced through the round of 64, 32 and 16 in second place in each heat to reach the semi-final round for the second time this season.

In the semi-final, Bolton crossed the line in third to just miss out on the big final medal round. In the consolation round, Bolton finished second, giving him a final ranking of sixth, matching his performance at the World Championships at the start of March.

Baff and Lambert repeated their performances from day one, finishing in ninth and 17th.

With three events remaining, Baff is currently ranked third on the World Cup standings, with Bolton in 11th and Lambert in 20th.

The Snowboard Cross World Cup tour now heads to Veysonnaz, Switzerland, with qualifying on March 15, with finals on March 16.

IMAGE
Cam Bolton (Red bib) in action at Sierra Nevada Photo: FIS Snowboard

Josie Baff has claimed Australia’s fourth medal at the FIS World Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia, with a silver medal performance in the snowboard cross event.
 
The medal is even more impressive considering it’s her first start at a World Championship event, and adds to a successful season where she recorded the first World Cup victory of her career and a second podium earlier in December.
 
With bad weather expected over the coming days in Georgia, the event - originally scheduled for Friday - was moved forward two days to ensure the race was ran in the best conditions possible.
 
Baff was in great form in the early heats, winning her round of 32 and quarter-final races to advance through to the semi-finals.
 
She crossed the line in second place in the semis to advance through to the big-final medal round, up against past Olympic gold medallists Lindsey Jacobellis of the USA and Eva Adamczykova of the Czech Republic.
 
Baff moved from third place to second halfway down the course in the big-final and managed to find space and comfortably remain in the silver medal position from that point to the finish line, finishing behind Adamczykova who took the victory with Jacobellis in third place.
 
“I kind of just let out a little squeal, and I was like, wow this is really, really cool, and then after a few minutes it sunk in and I kind of realised what I had done,” said the 20-year-old Jindabyne rider.
 
“It was a long day, and the runs were long and exhausting, so I was really happy that my legs were able to hold it together for that last run.
 
“It’s really nice to have this medal and I’m so grateful for my coaching team and the wax technicians who did an amazing job of making my boards speedy, so I’m very happy.”
 
In the men’s event, Cameron Bolton and Adam Lambert had a strong day reaching the semi-final round, just missing out on advancing to the big-final after finishing third and fourth in the same heat.
 
In the small-final, Bolton narrowly missed crossing the line in first in a photo finish, giving him a final ranking of sixth, with Lambert in eighth, making it three top-eight performances for Australia.
 
Tonight (AEDT) in Bakuriani, the Snowboard Cross Teams event will be taking place, with Australia represented by Baff and Bolton.

The first Snowboard Cross event of the new year has taken place under lights in Cortina d'Amprezzoo, Italy, with Belle Brockhoff the highest placed Australian just missing out on the big final in sixth place.

The NSWIS athlete won her opening quarter final heat, and finished third in the semi-final to just miss advancing to the big final medal round.

Competing in the consolation round small final, Brockhoff crossed the finish line in second, to give her a final ranking of sixth..

Also in action for Australia were NSWIS riders Josie Baff in ninth, Cameron Bolton in 18th and Adam Lambert 21st.

After four races, Baff is ranked third on the World Cup standings, with Brockhoff in eighth despite missing the previous World Cup. In the men's rankings Bolton is in 12th with Lambert in 16th.

The next event for the Snowboard Cross athletes is the FIS World Championships, which will take place in Bakuriani, Georgia, on March 2-4. 

Australia’ Josie Baff has made an incredible start to the World Cup season, winning gold overnight in the opening snowboard cross event in Les Deux Alpes, France.
 
The podium performance is also the first of the 19-year-old teenagers’ career in just her eighth World Cup start, becoming just the second Australian female snowboard cross rider to win a World Cup event.
 
The Jindabyne local was in great form at the French resort, qualifying for finals in fourth place under sunny conditions. Heavy wind and snowfall then set in, with the event postponed 24 hours. Conditions improved slightly for the new competition day but was still difficult for all competitors.
 
Baff continued her fast riding into finals, winning her quarter final round and placing second in the semi final to reach the first big final medal round of her career.
 
In the big final, Baff had another great start and was in the top two for the first half of the course. Baff then made her move hitting the front and was able to fend off all challenges to cross the line in first place.
 
Finishing behind Baff on the podium were French riders Chloe Trespeuch and Lea Casta with Lara Casanova of Switzerland in fourth.
 
“I am very overwhelmed right now, but thankyou to everyone, my coaches, my wax techs and hello to my family back home” said Baff as she caught her breath in the finish area.
 
“I still can’t believe this has happened.”
 
In the men’s event, both Cameron Bolton and Adam Lambert made it through to the quarter final round, with Bolton finishing in ninth place and Lambert in 12th. Belle Brockhoff was the seventh fastest qualifier, but did not start in finals, giving her a final ranking of 15th.
 
The snowboard cross athletes will next be in action in the Italian resort of Cervinia, competing in a World Cup event on December 16.

Josie Baff has a had a memorable finish to the World Cup season in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, recording a personal best seventh place and taking home the FIS Snowboard Cross Rookie of the Year award.
 
Baff was drawn in the quarter final stage against 2022 double Olympic Champion Lindsey Jacobellis of the USA, and crossed the line in second place ahead of the American to advance through to the semi-final stage for the first time in her career.
 
In the semi final, Baff was unable to progress to the big final in fourth, and finished in third place in the consolation small final to give her a personal best overall ranking of seventh.
 
Cam Bolton was the highest place Australian in the men’s event after finishing in ninth, with Adam Lambert and Adam Dickson both in 17th.
 
In the end of season World Cup standings, Belle Brockhoff was the highest ranked Australian in fourth place despite missing the last two events. Baff finished her first full World Cup season in 16th.
 
Bolton was our highest ranked male in seventh, with Lambert 11th and Dixon 16th.

Australia's two snowboard cross mixed teams were unable to finish in the quarter-finals, with Belle Brockhoff treated for an injury sustained on course.

Triple Olympians Cam Bolton and Belle teamed up, while Jindabyne's Josie Baff and Adam Lambert formed Australia's second team in the new Olympic event.

In Snowboard cross four male athletes race first and the time advantage the winning male has is transferred to his female teammate, with the other three women leaving the start gate in a staggered format. The top two women to finish secure a place for their team in the next round.

Australia's two teams were drawn to compete in the same quarter-final. Cam and Adam were the two fastest starters in their run, with Cam finishing fastest and Adam just .42 seconds behind in third.

But it wasn't to be Australia's day, with Josie taking a tumble and moments later Belle clipped the board of another rider to lose her balance and suffer a fall.

Josie made her way down the course shortly after, but the competition was stopped for Belle to receive medical attention on the course.

Belle complained of a sore neck and was subsequently taken to hospital as a precaution for imaging.

Those scans were all clear and Belle will be heading back to re-join her teammates at the Athletes Village.

Speaking with Channel 7 after being eliminated from the competition, Cam had Belle in his thoughts and reflected on the race.

"First of all I hope she (Belle) is doing well. I heard from the team that she's doing OK and it's just precautionary and they think everything is good," Cam said.

"Hopefully that's the case. [To lose in the quarter-finals] was really disappointing. It's just one of those things.

"Lambo and Josie – I'm so sorry for them too. Josie had such a great start, she was coming in fast behind Lindsey [Jacobellis] (USA) who won gold the other day."

Adam found himself in an intense run.

"The men's races are always super tight," Adam said.

"Cam and [Nick] Baumgartner (USA) are incredible riders. I just wanted to win. I tried really hard."

The conditions were significantly different to what the snowboarders had in their earlier Olympic events, with it snowing at the Zhangjiakou Genting Snow Park making the course slower, which changed the entire dynamic for racing and strategy.

"There is so much snow [falling], the course is tricky," Cam said.

"It's hard to clear the jumps in the middle."

For more snowboarding action you can catch Beijing 2022 bronze medallist Tess Coady and Matt Cox in big air qualifying on Tuesday 15 February.

olympics.com.au
Jeff Dickinson-Fox