Belle Brockhoff came agonisingly close to a podium finish but had to settle for fourth place in the FIS Snowboard Cross World Championships at Idre Fjall (SWE) early on Friday morning (AEDT).

In an exciting race with multiple change of leads, Brockhoff was quick out of the gate, beaten only by defending World Champion Eva Samkova (CZE). Brockhoff battled for second position with Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain for large portions of the run, with the two eventually overtaking Samkova after one of the jumps.

Unfortunately Brockhoff slipped out of the course at the bottom roller section while in second place, a mistake that relegated her out of medal contention and allowed Bankes to sail towards gold, with Moioli (ITA) in second place and Samkova in third.

In the Men’s event, 2018 Olympic silver medallist Jarryd Hughes was the best placed of the Australian athletes, making his way through to the quarter finals to close in 11th place. After qualifying brilliantly for the finals, neither Adam Dickson nor Adam Lambert could advance past the first final round and finished in 24th and 26th place respectively.

Brockhoff and Hughes will be in the start gate again tonight (Friday) for the Mixed Snowboard Cross Team event. The race starts at 10.30pm AEDT and Snow Australia is once again able to provide exclusive live access to the event broadcast for the Australian audience. To watch the race head over to https://www.snow.org.au/live/

The 2021 FIS Ski & Snowboard Cross World Championships will take place this week in the Swedish resort of Idre Fjäll. 

The World Championships will open up first with the Snowboard Cross on February 11 with the Snowboard Cross team event on February 12.  The Ski Cross athletes will close out the World Championships on February 13.

In action for Australia will be World Cup medalists Belle Brockhoff, Adam Lambert and Adam Dickson, with  2018 Olympic silver medalist Jarryd Hughes competing in his first event of the season.

Doug Crawford and Robbie Morrison will be making their World Championship debut in the Ski Cross competition.

Full Schedule
Tuesday February 9 - Snowboard Cross Qualifying
Wednesday February 10 - Ski Cross Qualifying
Thursday February 11 - Snowboard Cross Final
Friday February 12 - Snowboard Cross Team Event
Saturday February 13 - Ski Cross Final
 
IMAGE: Belle Brockhoff and Adam Dickson celebrate podium performances at the World Cup finals in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, in March 2020 © Chris Hocking

The World Cup Snowboard Cross tour has commenced for 2021, with a double event taking place in Valmalenco, Italy.

NSWIS rider Belle Brockhoff was the fastest qualifier out of the Australian athletes in action, advancing through to finals in third place.

Brockhoff then recorded two top-10 performances, unable to advance past the quarter final stage finishing in ninth place on both days of competition.

In the men's event, Adam Lambert also made it through to the quarter final round on both days, finishing in 12th place on day one and 13th on day two.

Lambert's NSWIS teammate Adam Dickson was also in action, finishing in 33rd on day one and 25th on day two.
 
The next event on the schedule for the snowboard cross athletes will be the World Championships in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, on February 11.
 
IMAGE: Adam Lambert taking on qualifying in Valmalenco © FIS

During the Australian winter season Adam Dickson trained on snow at Perisher with NSWIS Head Coach Jason Clauscen. Teammate Adam Lambert also made his return to snow from injury sustained in December 2019. Cam Bolton, Belle Brockhoff and Jarryd Hughes focused mostly on their strength and conditioning at home during this time.
 
In early October, Brockhoff, Dickson and Lambert all headed over to Europe to train on snow with OWIA Coaches Harald Benselin and Jan Klesma in Switzerland and Austria.
 
World Cup events scheduled to take place in December have been cancelled due to the COVID situation in each country. The first World Cup event of the season is now scheduled for mid January.

The ‘Athletes for Lifeline’ campaign is an initiative run by the AIS Lifeline Community Custodians in an effort to connect virtually to the community to raise funds and awareness for Lifeline Australia. 
 
Representing winter sports is two time Snowboard Cross Olympian, and current world number two Belle Brockhoff.
 
The athletes are putting together a ‘virtual check-in’, where each week/fortnight a Lifeline Community Custodian will host a check-in centred around a different topic. There will be 2 formats.

• Instagram live: A live stream video from the athletes personal Instagram account. This will be conducted with the primary aim of connecting with the virtual community and rising awareness for the Lifeline phone line 13 11 14. 
• Zoom meeting: the other option is aimed to encourage donations. Lifeline and the athletes will advertise the upcoming zoom meeting, and when people make a donation to the ‘Athletes for Lifeline’ donation page, they will receive an emailed receipt with the zoom meeting details. A zoom meeting will then be held in a similar manner to the Instagram live. 

These videos will be saved after the live event,  and made available for a donation to Lifeline. 
 
These virtual check-in are a natural, organic way for the custodians to connect with their virtual audience and fulfil the custodian role of reducing mental health stigma in the community. The concept was created due to the Covid-19 pandemic as there has been a 30% increase in Lifeline calls. Understanding that the community in lockdown are reporting higher rates of loneliness, the custodians are offering a way to help support. These 45min-one hour check-in’s will cover a range of topics for maximum engagement including cooking classes, to learning AFL skills with AFLW players. Each episode will be hosted by a custodian and may include a special guest. The custodian will either share a skill with the virtual community or learn one from the guest. 
 
The first episode (June 4th) will feature Belle and Lego Masters (Season one) contestants Kaitlyn Lee and Miller Keys. Kaitlyn and Miller will share their Lego skills with Belle as they record over Instagram live. This format will allow the audience to engage with them in a Q&A style, while they promote the Lifeline Services. 
 
The second episode (June 11th), will feature Monique Murphy learning how to cook a recipe with My Kitchen Rules 2020 Winner, Jake Harrison. 
 
Future episodes include Erik Horrie, Catriona Bisset, Morgan Mitchell; and many more custodians and special guests. 
 
Through Belle and Monique’s work, many expressions of interest from special guests, including AFLW player Darcy Vescio, basketball superstar Liz Cambage; and donations of vouchers from Grill’d Burgers and Dinosaur Bars, have been received. During each episode these vouchers will be promoted and given away to people who donate to the ‘Lifeline for Athletes’ page. These vouchers will help act as an incentive and enable us to promote the brands. Care will be taken to insure no brands class with either Lifeline or AIS sponsors. These guests will aid us in reaching more viewers and more donors. 
 
The simple aim is to use our role and our time to help lifeline. We are conscious to work within the Covid-19 Government guidelines and our approach offers flexibility to do this as restrictions change. 
 
This program aims to capitalise on the excitement and energy of the Lifeline Custodians and use it to help give back to our community and support Lifeline Australia

IMAGE: Athletes who have been selected as Lifeline Community Custodians © Lifeline

Dual Winter Olympian Belle Brockhoff has secured the prestigious Outstanding Achievement award as part of the 2020 Snow Australia Awards for her awe inspiring comeback season.

The 27 year old returned to the World Cup season in 2019-2020 after an ACL injury sidelined her for two years.

Her comeback was remarkable , achieving five podium finishes from six World Cup starts. On top of that she made the final in every World Cup event she contested this season.

Brockhoff finished the season with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals. Her hard work was rewarded when she finished second overall in the World Cup season standings.

The Victorian athlete said that she felt enormous pride to be announced as the Outstanding Achievement award recipient.

“This feels amazing - it’s been a long two years out of the sport,” Brockhoff said.

“To come out of this season as world number two was just unreal and this is great just to top it off.

After achieving her goal of ‘going for gold’ this season, Belle remains ambitious as she looks ahead to what could potentially be her third Winter Olympic Games campaign.

“I’ve never been shy or hidden the fact that my goal is to go for gold, whether it’s Olympics, World Cup or World Championships, that’s what I want to do,” Brockhoff said.

“And I want to do everything that I can - training on snow, off snow, or whatever it may be to get into a position where I can achieve that.”

Snow Australia Chief Executive Officer Michael Kennedy said Belle is a very deserving recipient of the award.
“The Outstanding Achievement Award is presented to someone who has not only achieved outstanding results but has also overcome setbacks or adversity in doing so. In 2020 there was no one more deserving of the award than Belle,” Kennedy said.

“I know how hard she worked not only to return to snow, but return to the form she was in before her injury and I think this season she exceeded even her own expectations.

Courtesy Snow Australia

Australia’s snowboard cross athletes have scored a double podium at the final event for the FIS World Cup season overnight in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, capping a stellar season for Belle Brockhoff.
 
The event was also the final FIS ski or snowboard competition of the 2019-2020 season, with all other events planned now cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus and the imminent closure of nearly all ski resorts in central Europe.
 
Brockhoff claimed bronze in the women’s event and NSWIS teammate, Adam Dickson, also took the bronze podium in the men’s event, the first World Cup medal of his career.
 
The women’s big final competitors all had impressive credentials featuring PyeongChang gold medalist Michela Moioli (ITA), Sochi Olympic Champion and last year’s Crystal Globe winner Eva Samkova (CZE), Australia’s Belle Brockhoff (AUS) and winner of the previous World Cup in Sierra Nevada Chloe Trespeuch (FRA).
 
Brockhoff led a third of the way in and held the lead for most of the run until Moioli went past on the last banked corner as both the Italian and France’s Trespeuch overtook on the line.
 
The NSWIS rider has had a phenomenal season in her return from missing the previous two years due to injury, advancing through to the big final in every competition.
 
Her bronze in Veysonnaz took her season medal tally to five (one gold, one silver, three bronze) and she finished second overall on the World  Cup standings, her best ever end of season ranking.
 
“I am really happy with my season, I have put in a lot of hard work over the past two years and wanted to make a strong comeback” said Brockhoff.
 
“With the season now finished my focus is to train hard and get really strong, I have got a lot of notes written down that I need to work on physically.”
 
Australia’s Adam Dickson took his first FIS World Cup podium of his career with bronze at the Veysonnaz event.
 
The 24 year old from Jindabyne took third place behind Omar Visintin from Italy (silver) and Alessandro Haemmerle from Austria (gold). Haemmerle claimed the Crystal Globe for the season.
 
“it’s my first top ten performance so to have a podium is unreal” an excited Dickson commented after the race.
 
“it’s a great event here, the speed was up and there was plenty of airtime. My strategy was to keep my speed and holding a high line into the final turn and it worked well for me.”

Also competing in Switzerland was two time Australian Olympian Cameron Bolton,who was extremely unlucky to be unexpectedly and controversially disqualified in the quarter final round, putting him in 26th place.

IMAGE: Adam Dickson and Belle Brockhoff celebrate their bronze medals at the final world cup of the season in Switzerland © OWIA/Chris Hocking

Belle Brockhoff has finished in the bronze medal position, with the 27 year old claiming her fourth podium performance of the season in In Sierra Nevada, Spain.

The NSWIS rider advanced through to the big final, and avoided a fall from Eva Samkova of the Czech Repubic to cross the finish line in third place, extending her streak to three straight podiums
 
Finishing ahead of Brockhoff on the podium was Chloe Trespeuch from France who won the gold medal, with Michela Moioli of Italy in second place.
 
With one event remaining, Brockhoff is currently ranked second on the World Cup standings on 3500 points, with Moioli 900 points ahead in first place with 4400 points.
 
“I am super happy with the result here in Spain” said Brockhoff after landing on the podium.
 
“Last time l was here three years ago I ruptured my ACL for the first time, so this is a big win for me regardless of the medal colour.”
 
“I’ve had my best season ever and I’ve worked so hard for it these last two years. I’m very excited to see what I can do next year and I’m looking forward to more hard work after this season.

2018 Olympic Medallist Jarryd Hughes was the highest placed male athlete in 13th place, with NSWIS teammates Alex Pullin in 21st, Cameron Bolton 25th and Adam Dickson 44th. 
 
The snowboard cross tour now moves to Veysonnaz, Switzerland, for the final event of the season on March 15. 

Belle Brockhoff has capped off an amazing weekend winning gold in the second of back-to-back World Cup snowboard cross races in Big White, Canada.
 
The win makes it two medals in two days for the 27 year old from Melbourne, after finishing second in yesterday's competition.
 
In difficult weather conditions, Brockhoff claimed victory in a nail-biting finish, edging out Olympic champion Michela Moioli of Italy by .08 of a second. Rounding out the podium was American Faye Gulini in third.
 
“It is absolutely unreal! It’s more than just a win for me, I have come back from two ACL blowouts and this is just so huge! I am very happy,” a joyful Brockhoff said.
 
“The work I have put in over the last two years out of the sport has shown. It’s different for me too, my mind is looking at things differently and its super calm.”
 
“I had no nerves today. I was calm and patient.”
 
The podium result is the tenth medal of Brockhoff's World Cup career (4 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze), and her first win since 2017.
 
With only two World Cup events remaining, Brockhoff sits in second place on the World Cup standings on 2900 points, 700 points behind leader Moioli.

Adam Dickson was the highest placed Australian in the men's event in 21st position, with Cam Bolton 25th and Jarryd Hughes in 27th.
 
The next stop of the World Cup tour will be in Sierra Nevada, Spain on March 06-07.

Belle Brockhoff has continued her strong season winning silver at the FIS World Cup event in Big White, Canada, her second medal of the season.
 
Brockhoff, 27, from Melbourne overcame difficult weather conditions and equipment problems to reach her third straight big final this season, and took the silver medal in a photo finish just beating the third place finisher.
 
“I had a lot of equipment malfunction”, a relieved Brockhoff commented after the race.
 
“I had my boots break, parts on all three of my bindings break and my warmup gear broke. Had to duct tape it all up”
 
“I wasn’t feeling confident yesterday and had a bit of bone bruising in my knee. I just made the switch mentally before I went to sleep.”
 
“Six months ago, I didn’t have the confidence to ride in conditions with very poor visibility. “
 
“A lot of that confidence came back yesterday and today, which was more of an achievement than a silver medal for me.”
 
Taking the victory was Italian rider Michela Moioli with her teammate Raffaella Brutto in third.
 
The podium result is the ninth medal of Brockoff's World Cup career (3 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze), and puts her in second place on the World Cup standings after three events this season.
 
In the men's event, 2018 Olympic Silver medalist Jarryd Hughes was the best placed Australian in 11th position, with Cameron Bolton 18th and Adam Dickson 40th.

The FIS World Cup Snowboard Cross season kicked off in Montafon, Austria, with Australian Winter Olympians Cameron Bolton and Belle Brockhoff both winning a place on the podium.

Bolton, 29, from Melbourne, Victoria, won silver in the men’s Snowboard Cross and Brockhoff, 26, from Melbourne, took bronze in the women’s.

Bolton’s silver is his third World Cup medal, and first silver placement. The two time Winter Olympian secured his spot in the final in tough weather conditions with heavy snow and wind to take second at the finish line.

“I’m absolutely wrapped to come away with a second for the first event, I took it one heat at a time” said Bolton of his race strategy. “I’m looking for a podium in every race, I think you have to go into every race looking for that.”

It was a particularly sweet third place for Brockhoff. This season is her first full season back after two separate knee injuries in the past two years. The bronze medal at Montafon on is her eighth World Cup medal (3 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze) and first since 2017.

“I’m so happy, it’s been a long road” said an ecstatic Brockhoff. “I had quite a few plans in place to see what would happen at the start and best options to take. This is a great way to start the 2019/2020 season.”

Alessandro Haemmerle (AUT) took gold and Omar Visinton (ITA) took bronze in the men’s event and Eva Samkova (CZE) took gold and Michela Moioli (ITA) took silver in the women’s event.

Olympic silver medallist, Jarryd Hughes, also performed well, finishing third in the small final, giving him a final ranking of seventh place overall.

Other Australian athletes competing in Montafon were Adam Lambert (19th), Adam Dickson (31st) and Alex "Chumpy" Pullin (48th).

The Australian snowboard cross team will now travel to Cervinia, Italy, for the next FIS World Cup on December 22. 

Mt Hotham hosted races three and four of the SBX FIS ANC on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 September with plenty of action across the two days.

A host of internationals from Germany, USA, Japan, Brazil, Korea, China, Thailand and Canada lined up against some strong, young Australian talent - a combination which resulted in some hotly contested races.

Olympian Belle Brockhoff was in fine form in her maiden competition in 2019, after returning from a knee injury, taking out first place in the women’s race three and was closely followed by Aussie Mia Clift who finished third.

In the men’s race, Olympian Cam Bolton won the silver with fellow Aussies Olympian Adam Lambert and Adam Dickson crossing the line in 5th and 6th position respectively.

The Aussie men remained consistent throughout the two day competition as they secured three top five positions in Race four -– Dickson third, Lambert fourth and Bolton in fifth.

Race for for the women saw the Aussie young guns step up and take it to the strong international cohort, with 15-year-old Mia Clift claiming second spot and 16-year-old Josie Banff taking out fourth place.

Young gun Mia Clift was crowned as the overall Continental Cup champion in the women’s and after some strong performances Cam Bolton claimed the men’s title.

​SNOWBOARD CROSS: Sochi 2014 Olympian Belle Brockhoff has been cleared to compete in the women’s snowboard cross event at PyeongChang 2018, after her initial selection was subject to medical clearance.

The Melbourne-native has had a rollercoaster twelve months of injury including a crash in early December that forced her to have surgery on her ACL less than two months out from Games.

The 25-year-old is relieved that she’ll be taking the start line on Day 7 of the Winter Games, saying she was “really happy” to pass the medical test.

“I was a bit nervous about the injury given that it was an ultimatum - either pass the test or go home and start over,” Brockhoff said, after acknowledging her recovery window post-surgery would be very short.

“I didn’t have a lot of time either so I was starting to feel the pressure but didn’t allow myself to crack. I just kept on believing in myself and telling myself it’s all mental.”

Brockhoff is now in Feldberg, Germany set to compete in a modified World Cup program before the 2018 Games kick off.

“I have a plan in place to compete in just the time trials and maybe do one round of heats in the second World Cup here since we want it to be a smooth introduction back to sport,” Brockhoff said.

“I’ve had a week on snow prior and got my confidence back. I’m really pushing it on my board so my knee can get used to the feeling.”

Brockhoff said she would not have got through her recovery period without her support team who have been helping her in every way possible so that she can compete in her second Olympic campaign.

“It has all been an awesome mental test that I’m really stoked about.

“It’s given me a whole new level of self-belief and knowing that no matter how many times life beats you down, you can get back up.”

Brockhoff will compete on February 16 where the top 30 female boardercross riders in the world will all vie for a chance to call themselves an Olympic Champion.

Ashleigh Knight
olympics.com.au

Despite suffering a serious knee injury last week, Snowboard Cross athlete Belle Brockhoff has declared she will do everything she can to make the start line at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.  
 
The 24-year-old suffered a bad crash in training in heavy weather conditions last week in Val Thorens, rupturing her ACL and chipping cartilage in her knee, forcing her to undergo surgery yesterday in Melbourne. 
 
But a determined Brockhoff has said even this won’t stop her from a second Olympic campaign. 
 
"I’m not giving up on the dream so easily," Brockhoff said. 
"I will be giving it my very best to come back since I know I'll regret it if I don't."
 
“I feel confident I can come back for the Olympics and perform as best I can."
 
2018 Chef de Mission, Ian Chesterman said the entire Olympic Team is behind her decision to push ahead towards the Olympic Games.
 
“Whilst this is a setback, Belle is still focussed on going to PyeongChang,” Chesterman said. 
 
“Her medical team have put a plan in place to treat the injury to give her every opportunity to compete in PyeongChang.
 
“Belle understands the risks involved in attempting to compete in PyeongChang but we will support her in every way possible to achieve her dream of competing at the Olympic Games next year.”
 
The Sochi Olympian has had an unfortunate 12 months of injury, starting with a crash at the 2017 World Championships in March, which saw her tear her ACL. 
 
After a intense five month rehabilitation period, the Melbourne-native got back on her board in August at Mt Buller, hoping to kick start her 2018 Olympic campaign.
 
"I know I have the support of my family, the OWI and the Australian Olympic Committee. Everyone is doing everything they can to get me back on a board in time for February."
 
Brockhoff finished the 2016/2017 season, third on the women’s world rankings and finished 8th in her Olympic debut four years ago in Sochi, Russia.

AOC

Sochi Olympian and Snowboard Cross athlete, Belle Brockhoff has suffered a crash in Val Thorens and will now return to Australia to assess the damage. 

"This definitely wasn't the return I had hoped for," said Brockhoff who was hoping to compete in her first World Cup at the French event.

"The visibility was horrendous so I couldn't see the take off on a feature. I missed the timing and landed funky."
After a year of injury problems that included surgery in March and only getting back on the snow in August, the Melbourne-native is remaining positive.

"Right now I believe it is bone bruising but I'll get a MRI in Austria this Friday.

"It is what it is really, there was a lot of positives that came from yesterday regardless of the crash."

Brockhoff said she had hit the benchmarks she had set for herself and it was just an unfortunate occurrence.

"Anyone could of made that mistake. There were a bunch of crashes on that course, even Eva Samkova (2014 Olympic Champion) crashed and now needs surgery.

"I don't feel I came back too early or wasn't ready, it was just unlucky. I am flying home to do my rehab and get stronger."

Brockhoff said the thing she was most disappointed in was not being able to defend her title at Montafon this week.

"I'm a little bummed I can't do the next few races but I want to be in the sport for a long time so I'm thinking about the bigger picture."

The 24-year-old was excited for her Australian team-mate Adam Lambert, who took home the silver medal at the World Cup event.

"I'm so stoked for Adam for his first ever World Cup podium, a huge congratulations to him."

Brockhoff said 20-year-old Lambert's silver medal overnight is a step in the right direction for the next generation of Aussie snowboard cross athletes.

"I'm so excited by younger athletes coming up through the ranks, it's great for our sport and the future of Australian snowboarding," she said. "Plus it lights the fire under our bums and gives us a run for our money."

Ashleigh Knight
olympics.com.au 

“Looking back at the crash in March it feels like it’s gone really quick,” Australia’s queen of Snowboard Cross Belle Brockhoff said from Switzerland late last week.
 
“It feels like just yesterday that I was flying home for surgery.”
 
After intensive rehab following reconstruction to her knee that took her out of the World Championships and unable to finish the World Cup season, Brockhoff was always one hundred percent convinced that not only would she be back, but better. The time allowed the seven-time World Cup medallist (including three gold), to strengthen mind, body and soul. 
 
After returning to snow in the domestic season under the watchful eye of OWIA Head of Rehab, Ashley Merkur, Brockhoff has continued on to Switzerland.  

“I am training in Saas Fee with my coach, physio and sport psych,” she explained. “We are working on many things technically and also a lot of basics, which I find really important. I’m also meditating heaps and working on that state of flow mentality.” 
 
“There’s definitely a new bounce in my step. Having not being able to ride for so long makes each day all the more exciting and sweeter.”
 
Her OWIA boardercross team mates Alex Pullin, Cam Bolton and Adam Lambert are due to join up in late November before the next World Cup  in Val Thorens, France on December 12.

“Yeah, I'm really looking forward to all the boys to come over. I really enjoy riding and training with them since I can learn heaps from them. We have a ton of fun together.

August 28 was a momentous day for Snowboard cross rider and Sochi Olympian, Belle Brockhoff who got back on a board and hit the slopes for the first time in over five months.

“It feels really good to be back,” said Brockhoff who has undergone serious knee surgery after a crash before World Championships saw her tear her ACL.

“I’m really happy to get on a snowboard again.”

Five months out from a Winter Olympic Games, most athletes would have spent plenty of time on the snow but the 24-year-old has taken another route - undergoing surgery and focusing on a full recovery before she takes on international competition.  

“Rehabilitation is going really well. My knee feels good and there weren’t any issues on snow.

“Right now, I’m just over preparing it since it’ll be a full-on schedule this tour,” said Brockhoff who is aiming to return to international competition this December.

“There’s no rush to compete but to really make sure things are solid with my knee. The priority is the Games in February.”

Brockhoff’s Australian boardercross team mates kicked off their Olympic season in Argentina last week with race one and two of the World Cup circuit, displaying performances Brockhoff described as “really amazing!”

Two-time Olympian and Brockhoff’s close friend, Alex “Chumpy” Pullin proved his means business in 2017, taking out both races. 

“The boys did so well, especially with Chumpy’s double win, what a legend! I’m really happy for him.”

Brockhoff who is hoping to replicate this success at her second Olympics in February, which she believes she can do if she focuses on being fit, both mentally and physically.

“I know once I get to the Games, I won’t be able to improve my skill level that much more but trust myself with my skill set and make sure I’m in a good headspace,” said Brockhoff who has been using meditation a tool for best performance. 
 
“I’ve been working with Tom, the Olympic Winter Institute’s Sport psychologist, on many things.

“I’m really excited about the progress I’ve made and looking forward to using the tools I have in action.

In her spare time between recovery and training, Brockhoff has started her own clothing label, a unisex line called Yuzoko.

“It’s going really well, ticking along slowly like any other start-up business.

“It does keep me busy but I love what I’m learning from it and enjoy the marketing side of it.

“It’s definitely something that I’ll want to keep doing 5-10 years from now if i keep working at it.”

Brockhoff will train in Melbourne for two more weeks, before heading to Europe to begin on snow training. 

Ash Knight
olympics.com.au
 

Triple World Cup gold medallist Belle Brockhoff is back on her snowboard at Mt Buller doing what she loves best after her awaited return-to-snow came to fruition today.

Anyone who follows Belle on twitter or Instagram will know how excited the world number three is to be back on snow following a knee surgery in January, which cut her season short before the World Championships and final World Cup.
 
“I see snowboarding days approaching! ,” an excited Brockhoff said in the countdown to today’s return.

“I’ve never been sent home for injury before and it’s been five months off snow. Longest time ever,” Brockhoff told OWIA.   

“This is the first time on snow since my crash at the world champs in Spain in March this year. I’m so excited.”

The Sochi Olympian was in the hunt to take last season’s world number one spot when she crashed at the World Championships in March, leaving the coveted Crystal Globe to her competitors.

Immediate surgery to her right knee required a full ACL reconstruction with the hamstring then a dedicated five months rehabilitation.

“It is what it is and you try your best,” a philosophical Brockhoff said. “I’ve had knee issues for a few years but I’m really happy now.”

“I’m making sure that I’m over prepared – making sure I have more icing on the cake. I told everyone on the day I had the injury that I would come back stronger.”
 
“Every weak point on my body is being worked on and mentally I feel stronger now too,” she added.
 
Brockhoff is more than satisfied with where she is currently at and has added meditation into her schedule.
 
“I’ve been right into meditation during the last few months. Tom Hammond (OWIA psychologist) has helped me fine-tune it.”
 
The 2016/17 season was a personal best for Australia’s queen of Snowboard Cross, starting out with two Europa Cup victories then capturing two World Cup golds (Austria and Bulgaria) and a silver in Germany before her crash in January.

Despite not being able to compete in the final World Cup, Brockhoff scored enough points to be awarded the World number three spot.  

“Looking back, it was a personal best and with a knee injury. Snowboard Cross is incredibly hard and I’m really excited being World number three and making history doing so back-to-back.”

“Last season was a learning curve for me. I had the leader jersey for most of the season, which was really awesome. My main rival grabbed it off me at the last World Cup but it’s still nice coming into the Games with a target on your back.”

Ashley Merkur, OWIA Medical Services & Rehabilitation Manager says Brockhoff is on track.

“Belle has been meticulous in her rehab so far and has moved onto the next phase now by returning to snow. She will continue to steadily progress her training over the next couple of months,” Merkur advises.

Making Australian sporting history is high on Brockhoff’s agenda.

She is aiming for her first 2017/18 First World Cup at Montafon, Austrai in mid-December and a good run-up to PyeongChang.

“When I ride my best on the day I can come away with a medal,” she said. “It’s not easy either. All the competitors will be training their arses off too.”

 “You see the same people, same routine, but we get two training days instead and a lot more media.”

“There’s a lot of waiting between features in the PyeongChang course, which doesn’t work well with the winds there and causes a lot of drafting and waiting.”

“’Conditions affect the strategy. If it’s a big head wind, it’s a bit tricky – you’ve got to plan it right.”

“I’m not one to stay in the start gate. I like to rev up and go. I’m not going to rely on others to do the work for me while I sit behind (drafting).”

The Olympic Village atmosphere is one she is looking forward to, having experienced it at Sochi where she came away with an eighth place.  

“You get to know your Australian team. It’s actually really cool.”

“The World Cups are like a big family on tour and we just see our own team but when we go to the Games we get to see the other sports.”

Brockhoff has already created Australian Snowboard Cross history but she has a lot more in store.

“I have another ten years in me after this Olympics and I want to bring the younger generation of snowboard cross riders with me. What I do will filter down to the younger riders,” she said.   

“I want them to try and beat me and I will do everything I  an for them to overtake me. I want the girls to beat me because it only betters me. There are no secrets and I don’t hide anything. I won’t hold anything back from the younger generation because I want them to have the information.”

“It’s important because one day (not any time soon) when I retire from the sport, who is going to keep it going for the females?”  

Brockhoff’s credits the driving desire to encourage other Australians to join her on the podium to her mother, Kristine.
“Mum has brought me up to help others. Sharing is caring. That not only makes you a better person but a better athlete,” Brockhoff said.  
 
There’s been no lazing around between rehab sessions over the past five months. Belle has also been busy expanding her unisex clothing brand Yuzoko, which is the combination of two Japanese words meaning ‘snow’ and ‘family’.

 “I’ve always loved to go to Japan snowboarding and I liked the sound of the two words together,” she explained.

The online clothing brand was founded in 2016 and launched in April 2017 and includes long sleeve shirts, tank tops and T-shirts.  

“We wanted high-quality products that endure, look good and have a design simplicity. Yuzoko.com is about good fabric with not overly complicated design that can take a lot of washing, gym work outs and be really tough.”  

“I’m learning how to market, seeing what works what doesn’t.”
 

La Molina in Spain is the second last stop on the Snowboard Cross World Cup circuit this season and will again feature Australia’s Belle Brockhoff who is the overall leader on 3,700 points ahead of Eva Samkova from the Czech Republic.

Both women have earned two wins and one second rank this season, respectively, and it's likely that the two dominating racers will play a major role on the 860 metres long course purpose-built on the Alabaus slope.

Alex “Chumpy” Pullin leads the Australian men in the world rankings at fourth, having taken the gold at the last World Cup in Feldberg, Germany. Pullin trails the leader Alessandro Haemmerle by 760 points.

Jarryd Hughes, who made it a one-two for Australia in Feldberg in mid Febraury by winning silver, is sitting in overall sixth position. Cam Bolton is currently in 20th and the up-and-coming Adam Lambert is in 32nd.

With only two more events of the World Cup season to come – the finals will be staged in Veysonnaz (SUI) the weekend after the world championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain.  

The qualifiers for the penultimate Snowboard Cross World Cup event are scheduled for Saturday, March 4 at 7.30pm (AEDT) with the heat of four finals live on Eurosport on Sunday, March 5 at 9.30pm (AEDT).
 

As Australia’s east coast sweltered, two-time World Champion Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin roared back onto the Snowboard Cross podium winning gold at the Feldberg World Cup in Germany yesterday in a dramatic race which saw fellow Aussie Jarryd Hughes claim the silver.
 
The one/two finish by Pullin and Hughes is a first for Australia on the World Cup Snowboard Cross tour.
 
Pullin’s latest win marks seven World Cup victories in a stellar career that has seen the 29-year-old remain consistently at or near the top of the Snowboard Cross world rankings since 2010.
 
Feldberg has solidified the momentum that Pullin says was building and feels “bloody awesome”.   
 
“I’ve had a couple of frustratingly close races this season. It’s really nice to get a win.”
 
The weekend had its ups and downs for Pullin, after he failed to qualify for the finals in the first World Cup on Saturday.
 
“That was a bummer but I learned a lot about the track.”  
 
The proven champion knew what he wanted after the disappointment of the day before.
 
“I came out pretty fired up. It was always going to be a long day and it was really important to put down a fast run in the in the heat.”
 
So fast, that Pullin was the fastest qualifier by almost half a second on a 36 second track.  
 
“To be able to pull that sort of margin gave me a boost. I raced a final in that first heat. To turn Saturday’s bad race day to a good one the next day was important to me. I knew I had the potential and I had to prove it to myself.”

The strong field included the who’s who of  Men’s Snowboard Cross  including the 2014 Sochi gold medallist, Pierre Vaultier (France) and current world ranked number one  Omar Visitin (Italy).
 
“Racing is incredibly close at the moment. One of the best things was that I got to race all the best guys and beat the World Cup leader not once but twice,” Pullin said.
 
“I wouldn’t have wanted to be anyone else today when I was in the gate. Winning was exactly what I wanted. To turn it around after yesterday makes me really happy.”
 
“The best rider is the one who can adapt – even if the course is not in their favour,” Pullin added.
 
Also adapting to the course was Jarryd Hughes, who took the silver but is no stranger to the podium having won a World Cup four years ago at just 17 and took gold in the X Games in 2016.
 
Hughes says his racing style is to focus on what he’s doing and to trust his instincts.
 
Those instincts paid off in Feldberg when ne narrowly made it through to the semi-finals in a photo finish and then fought hard to make it to the big final.
 
“I go in without a set plan and let what I want to do take over. There’s a lot of intensity at the start gate and it’s the people who best deal with it that continue on,” Hughes said.
 
“It was a fun race. I was really struggling with the start and was always in fourth in turn two so it made for a fun day of racing for me and to walk away with two finals is just a cherry on top,” Hughes said.
 
Featuring in the top eight was another Aussie, Adam Lambert who, in his first World Cup events in Germany, won his heat and quarter final but had to settle for the small final, where he finished 7th overall. Cam Bolton placed 21st and Matt Thomas 29th.
 
In the Ladies Snowboard Cross, with two victories already this season, Belle Brockhoff, was unlucky not to medal, having made it to the final four – but she still holds the overall world number one ranking.
 
The fifth Snowboard Cross World Cup will be held in Kazan, Russia from 24 to 26 February. 

Coming off her second season’s gold last week in Bulgaria, world leader Belle Brockhoff has kept the momentum going by winning silver under sunny skies at the first of two World Cup events in Feldberg, Germany.

Her third podium in four races keeps Brockhoff on top of the overall world leader board and her sights squarely set on the coveted Crystal Globe trophy by season’s end.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Bellesaid immediately after the medal race.  “I do my best every day and it’s working out for me.”

After winning her Feldberg qualifications round and then leading from start to finish in the semi-final, Brockhoff said she “missed the start a little bit” in the big final.

“I lost time at the top and was catching up before I got tangled up on turn four. Ten more inches at the end would have been enough.”

“It’s a really good course here. They’ve done a good job with the course and I’d like to say thanks to the organisers for that.”

The race was won by Michela Moioli from Italy, but Brockhoff has been able to keep the momentum since her win at the World Cup opener in Montafon, Austria extending her World Cup lead (3,200) over Olympic champion Eva Samkova (CZE; 2,650).

“I wouldn't expect to be that consistent going into the season although I always try to ride my best every single time. The girls are really good, and it's definitely going up each year. It's good, it's pushing our sport, but I haven't been as consistent as I have been so far. So, I'm really happy,” Brockoff said in a post-race interview.

Jarryd Hughes was the best performed of the Australian men making it through to the semi-finals, where he unfortunately slipped and went down mid-course, placing fourth, ending up eighth overall.

“8th Place today in Feldberg. Not what I wanted but I'll take it,” Hughes said on Twitter.

Alex Pullin placed 21st, Cam Bolton 28th, Matt Thomas 32nd, Adam Lambert 52nd, Adam Dickson 59th and Josh Miller 38th. 

“Bring on the double,” is the approach by Belle Brockhoff to this weekend’s Snowboard Cross World Cups in Feldberg, Germany.

The snowboarders will contest two events, beginning Friday night with qualifying, the finals live on Eurosport on Saturday from 10pm and the second race on Sunday night – again live on Eurosport.

After last week’s shorter sprint course in Bansko, Australia’s Snowboard Cross athletes Belle Brockhoff, Alex “Chumpy” Pullin, Cam Bolton, Jarryd Hughes and Matt Thomas revert to a more traditional one-minute course length.

24-year-old Sochi Olympian Brockhoff is aiming for the coveted overall season leader’s Crystal Globe trophy, having won two of the three Ladies World Cup Snowboard Cross events this season (Montafon and Basko) and backs up her first career win almost a year ago in Spain.
 
“My first win (Baqueira Beret, Spain in March 2016) was a goal I’d been aiming for a while,” Brockhoff recalled. “I’ve always wanted to win races and be the best since I got into the sport.”

Of her two recent World Cup victories in Montafon and Bansko Belle is always looking to see where improvements can be made.

“Looking at footage of the races that I have won helps give me an indication of where I can improve still.”
For the upcoming Feldberg World Cup this Saturday, training is underway and includes assessing the course before arrival.   

“We usually see some pictures of race course before we arrive, which gives us an idea. From there we have to figure out the course in just over an hour and do our best lap in time trials.”

“Every course can be more or less technical than others and always have different features to figure out, which challenges you,” she said. 

“I’m excited for this season and really looking forward to the years ahead on the tour. I am happy with my progress and feel that I’m not near my potential yet. I have so much to learn and I’m excited to do so.”

Coach Ben Wordsworth says whilst the Feldberg course will be different to that which they saw last year, the snowboarders are ready to go.

“Belle is doing pretty well,” said coach Ben Wordsworth. “Having won her first-ever event last season, she came back this year really motivated. She wants that Globe.”

“Her equipment is good at the moment and she’s very focussed.”

2010 and 2014 Olympian and dual World Champion Alex Pullin, who narrowly missed the podium last week in Bansko in a tight finish, is currently in fifth on the World Standings and looking forward to the weekend.

So too is Cam Bolton who, according to Coach Wordsworth, “rode pretty well last week and it was unfortunate he went out before the final”.

Jarryd Hughes is consistently performing and sitting in 8th position in the overall FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup standings. He will be looking for strong results in Feldberg.  

Matt Thomas is learning with each World Cup this season.
 
"The season so far has been challenging, in a positive way,” Thomas said. “The World Cup in Solitude felt as though I was riding really well. I was able to overtake in the quarters finals then made a mistake in the third last turn opening the line too much and dropping from first to sixth and being pushed up into the fencing.”

“I feel as though there was a real opportunity there.”

“Bansko was more challenging even though the training day and qualifying was felt similar to Solitude. The race day though didn't go to plan and I didn't perform as well I could, not fully clearing a feature in the course cost me a lot of speed and therefore, dropping back from being inside the top three for the first round.”

Going into Feldberg, Thomas’ goals are set.  

“This week at Feldberg we've recapped. The goal this week is to focus on keeping it simple and have fun. Focusing on replicating the work in Solitude whilst learning from the mistakes will hopefully pull off two good results." 
FIS Officials have said that conditions in Feldberg are good.

“Due to the fresh snow, sinking temperatures and a more stable weather forecasted than the ski cross community experienced last weekend in Bulgaria, conditions are looking favourable for the World Cup on the Seebuck face,” FIS officials stated.

“Course shapers have redesigned re-designed specific parts of the ski cross course from last week into a boarder cross track.”

The Feldberg World Cup qualifying begins at 8.30pm (AEDST) on Friday. Finals will be broadcast live this Saturday, Friday February 11 on Eurosport from 10pm. The second World Cup will again be broadcast live on Eurosport on Sunday evening at 10pm.