The Australian Snowboard Cross team have competed in a double World Cup event in Bakuriani, Georgia, with some promising performances at the penultimate event of the season.

On day one, Youth Olympic Games Gold Medallist Josie Baff made her World Cup debut and was the highest place Australian finisher in 15th position. Baff’s NSWIS teammates Adam Dickson made it through to the quarter-final round finishing in 16th place, with Adam Lambert in 25th.

On day two, Dickson was in great form winning his heat in the round of 32 and 16 to make it through to the semi-final stage for the first time this season.

In the semi-final, Dickson was in third position half way down the course, but mistimed a feature which took him out of the heat.

Dickson then competed in the consolation small final, where he placed fourth to give him a final ranking of eighth place, his best result of the season.

Adam Lambert finished third in his round of 32 heat to finish in 17th place. Baff did not start on day two.

Unfortunately, Belle Brockhoff sustained an injury during official training and had to withdraw from both days of competition and will conclude her season.

The final World Cup of the season will take place in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, on March 20. The event will be a reduced field with just the top 16 women and top 32 men in action.

Adam Lambert and Adam Dickson have both qualified to compete in the World Cup final, sitting in 21st and 25th place respective on the standings.

2018 Olympic silver medallist Jarryd Hughes is currently the third reserve in 35th place, after only racing in one World Cup event this season.

IMAGE: Adam Dickson (green bib) dropping from the start gate in Bakurian © FIS

NSWIS snowboarder Jarryd Hughes has continued his strong recent form with a tenth place finish in the snowboard cross World Cup event in Reiteralm, Austria.

The 2018 Olympic silver medalist qualified for finals in 11th place, and made a great start to heat racing winning in the round of 32.

In the quarter final round, Hughes just missed out on advancing to the next stage finishing third in his heat, giving him a final placing of tenth.

Also in action were NSWIS teammates Adam Dickson in 31st and Adam Lambert in 36th.

Unfortunately World Championship mixed team gold medalist Belle Brockhoff was unable to compete due to knee soreness, but is expected to return to training in the next weeks.

2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games Champion Josie Baff has recently joined the Snowboard Cross team in Europe for the remainder of the season with an aim to begin the qualification process towards Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.

The snowboard cross team will next head to Bakuriani, Georgia, for a double World Cup event on March 4 and 5.

IMAGE: Jarryd Hughes taking in the sun at Reiteralm © Jarryd Hughes Instagram

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

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.

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. 

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. 

NSWIS Snowboard Cross athlete Adam Lambert has become the second Australian Snowboard Cross athlete to win a World Cup medal this season, taking silver in Baqueira Beret, Spain.

His second place finish was the 21-year-old's first podium appearance since last season.

"I am so happy to finally get back on the podium, it's been a tough year for me with fewer races this season but I'm stoked to have pulled a result out and I'm excited to get to Veysonnaz."

It was a strong event for the NSWIS athletes, with four Australian athletes reaching the top 16 quarter final stage.

Triple Olympian Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin also placed well, taking out the men's small final to finish fifth overall. Jarryd Hughes came in at 11th, Cameron Bolton in 16th, while Adam Dickson placed 22nd and Josh Miller 49th.

The final event of the season in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, will feature a limited field of only the top 32 ranked athletes on the World Cup standings.

Four Australians will be in action, with Alex Pullin currently ranked fourth, Cameron Bolton eighth, Adam Lambert 10th and Jarryd Hughes 25th.

IMAGE - Adam Lambert (left) on the podium in Spain © FIS Snowboard

olympics.com.au

Australian dual Olympian Cameron Bolton has claimed his first ever FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup win in Feldberg, Germany. The victory was even sweeter for the 28-year-old NSWIS rider who crashed on this course three years ago which resulted in a broken back. 

Lining up in the 40th start of his career matched up in a tough final heat against German pair Paul Berg and Konstantin Schad, as well as young Japanese rider Yoshiki Takahara, jumping quickly out of the left gate and into the lead before the first corner with the Germans hot on his tail.

With Takahara clipping Schad’s board and nearly crashing on the first corner, Schad and Berg would be free to battle for second while Bolton opened up a comfortable lead, holding on easily through the finish for the win.

“It feels really, really good,” said Bolton of his first World Cup win, “It was a tricky race today and I'm happy I was able to come out here and do it.

"Three years ago I broke my back on this course, so to come out here and qualify first and then take the win, it feels like I have a little bit of redemption. And to share the podium with a couple of German riders on their home turf is nice, too.

"I took a lot of confidence out of qualifying in first, however, I immediately shifted my focus to the heat racing, which was going to be another kettle of fish.

"Everything came together and I had one of those days where you feel as though you can control everything around you. 

"I'm feeling great on snow and have a terrific team around me.  I'm looking forward to building on this result," he said.

Also in finals for Australia was Alex "Chumpy" Pullin, who finished in 18th place, with Adam Dickson 29th, and Jarryd Hughes 31st.

Adam Lambert in 33rd and Josh Miller 43rd just missed qualifying for the 32-man final rounds.

The Snowboard Cross team now has a break before the next World Cup in Baqueira Beret, Spain, on March 2nd.

IMAGE - Cam Bolton celebrates his first career Victory after crossing the finish line in Feldberg © FIS Snowboard

Two time World Champion Alex "Chumpy" Pullin has made a strong start to the season, finishing seventh and fourth in the opening FIS Snowboarding World Cup events in Cervinia, Italy.

After the two events, Pullin is currently ranked fifth in the world, a testament to consistent form in both events  in Cervinia.

Olympic Silver Medallist Jarryd Hughes was Australia's highest ranked qualifier in eighth place, and went on to finish in 19th on day one and 22nd on day two.

The other NSWIS program athletes, Cameron Bolton (26th and 34th), Adam Dickson (30th and 52nd), Josh Miller (40th and 54th) and Adam Lambert (43rd and 14th) were also in action in Italy.

A special mention to Josh Miller, who was able to compete after a hospital visit following a bad crash during training on the day before qualification.

The Snowboard Cross program now has a long break before the next event, the 2019 World Championships at the end of January in Solitude, UT, USA.

Australian Athlete Results
Alex Pullin - 7th and 4th
Jarryd Hughes - 19th & 22nd
Cameron Bolton - 26th & 34th
Adam Dickson - 30th & 52nd
Josh Miller - 40th & 54th
Adam Lambert - 43rd & 14th

IMAGE - Alex "Chumpy" Pullin out in front in the yellow bib © Miha Matavz/FIS

PyeongChang is over but the Snowboard Cross World Cup circuit still has races to run in the 2017/18 season with La Molina in Spain hosting the tenth out of twelve Cups up for grabs last weekend.

Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin was the best performed athlete featuring again in the final eight riders after placing second in qualifying, ending up in eighth overall in an event plagued by gusty winds, requiring pump track-like riding technique.

“Pretty windy here in Spain,” Pullin said after qualifying. “Qualified in 2nd and looking forward to racing finals today if we get the green light.”

Adam Dickson had one of his two-best events of his season, equalling his career best 12th place from Cerro Catedral, Argentina last September.

Adam Lambert finished 14th, whilst Matt Thomas (33rd) and Josh Miller (45th) did not qualify in the top 32.

Cam Bolton, who is recovering from a wrist injury incurred at PyeongChang did not compete, nor did PyeongChang silver medallist Jarryd Hughes.   

Austrian Alessandro Haemmerle headed up a national one-two on the men’s podium with his team mate Hanno Douschan taking silver.  

After La Molina, Pullin is sitting in third place on the overall World Cup standings with 4,696 points behind Alessandro Haemmerle (AUT) on 4,840 points and leader Pierre Vaultier from France on 6,520 points.

Adam Lambert is currently in 10th on the World Cup Standings and Jarryd Hughes 11th.

The SBX World Cup tour will continue next weekend with an in-city race staged in Moscow on 18 March.  

PYEONGCHANG 2018: Snowboard Cross silver medallist Jarryd Hughes will have the honour of carrying the flag and leading the 2018 Australian Olympic Team into the PyeongChang Closing Ceremony, as the world closes the Games of the 23rd Olympiad.

The 22-year-old Sydney-sider said being selected by Chef de MissIon, Ian Chesterman to fly the flag on behalf of the Australian Team was a huge honour.

“I am so excited to be chosen to be the Flagbearer for the Closing Ceremony, it’s hard to put into words,” Hughes said.

“It is the cherry on top of what has been the most amazing Olympic campaign and I am so proud to lead out this group of Australian athletes who have all been both an inspiration to me and the entire country throughout the Games.”

The Dual Olympian was one of three Australian medallists at the 2018 Games and has continued to lead the Team spirit and camaraderie post-competition.

“The bond between the Australian Team at these Games has been phenomenal. We have all been supporting one another and doing our best to show the world how proud we are to be Aussie Winter athletes.”

“The Closing Ceremony will be an awesome celebration of the hard work and dedication we’ve all put in over the past four years. To be able to lead my teammates is incredible.”

Hughes claimed his first Olympic medal, a silver at Phoenix Snow Park on Day 6 of the Games, with France’s Pierre Vauliter claiming gold and Regino Hernandez securing bronze for Spain.

“I still can’t quite believe I am an Olympic silver medallist. I’m sure it’s going to take a little while to sink in.”

“It’s a huge inspiration to keep pushing towards my, hopefully, third Olympic Games in Beijing 2022.”

After finishing 17th in his Olympic debut at Sochi 2014, Hughes went on to claim a gold medal at the 2016 X-Games and now has his greatest achievement to date.

“I’m so excited about this Olympic medal. I can’t wait to go home and share it with all of my friends and family.”

Joining Hughes on the Olympic podium was Matt Graham who claimed a silver medal in the men’s moguls, as well as Opening Ceremony flag bearer, Scotty James who secured bronze in the men’s snowboard halfpipe.

51 Athletes from 10 winter sports have all come together for the 2018 Games, supporting one another in a true display of team culture.

“I think the AOC has worked really hard this time around on focusing on a team environment, as well as high performance.

“I feel like I’m coming away from these Games with so many new friends and I am as proud of their accomplishments as I am my own.”

The Australian contingent will be one of the 91 nations marching into the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Stadium on Sunday night (AEDT), concluding what has been an exciting action-packed Winter Olympic Games.

The Closing Ceremony starts at 10pm AEDT and will be available to watch, live and free on Channel 7.

AOC

Dual Olympian Jarryd Hughes has won silver in the men's Snowboard Cross final at Phoenix Park.

The 22-year-old finished just behind Sochi 2014 gold medallist and current World Champion Pierre Vaultier (France) and was joined on the podium by Spain's Regino Hernandez who took bronze.

"As long as I'm enjoying it and having fun, more results like this are going to come along," Hughes said.

"The want to do well and my family, I couldn't have done any of this without my mum and dad. They've been amazing and I don't think I can thank them enough.

"I've been very fortunate to work with a lot of great people around the Olympics and the last few days I've been sitting there chatting with Alyce Burnett who's a kayaking Olympian and we've been able to chat about stuff and just kind of get my mind off it and not be too focussed so it's been really cool."

After a total of five knee surgeries since 2013, the Sydneysider said while it's been "rough" and "a long process" he was "just happy to be here". 

Hughes was left speechless whaen asked how it felt to be an Olympic silver medallist.

"I'll have come back to you," he joked.

Following a crash during the medal run, dual World Champion and triple Olympian Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin finished in sixth place -- his best Olympic result to date.

"It was a real shame but I didn't want to walk away today with any regrets and I was going for the gold," he said.

"Once I made the final I wanted to win here and really give it a shot ... I walk away happy to have really put myself in with a chance today, no regrets."

The 30-year-old added that he was "stoked" for the Australian team having three riders in the top 12 and a silver medal. 

"[It's] pretty cool to see a fellow Aussie in the final and even riding through some heats with Cam earlier was really awesome too," he said.

"To me, I don't really see it as a big four year cycle. I love my snowboarding, I love my racing but I really treat it year-by-year and analysing how each event goes. The fact that I'm 30-years-old and walked away from the biggest flat ladning I've had is pretty impressive to me."

Sochi Olympian Cam Bolton finished tenth, placing fourth in the Small Final after a crash in the semi final saw him injure his wrist and narrowly miss out on joining Hughes and Pullin in the Super Final.

The 27-year-old said while it was "disappointing to go out in that semi final" he was glad to be "able to get back out of the gate and secure that top ten spot."

"I'm proud of that even though it wasn't what I was aiming for," he said.

"It looks like I've torn some tendons or ligaments in the back of my elbow. We got it all splintered up and I was able to pull out of that last gate with my whole arm being still."

On his teammate's silver, Bolton said that it was an "incredible" result for Australia and the boardercross program.
"A great result for Jarryd, [he's] riding really strongly," he added.

Earlier, Olympic rookie Adam Lambert narrowly missed out on progressing through to the quarter finals after being caught up in a crash in the eighth finals, finishing just outside the top three in fourth place.

"I really wanted to do well here, I felt like I was riding the course super well but it's racing and things happen, sometimes they're out of your control," he said.

"I'll take the experience away, I'm an Olympian now which is awesome and I'll come back in four years time and race in Beijing and hopefully go for gold there instead of here."

The 19-year-old added that his Olympic experience had "been a lot different to what I expected".

"All the races I've had leading up to this have been on a way smaller scale," he said.

"It's so awesome to just be here but it's so different to what I'm used to and to at least have that experience moving forward it's a great time and I'm glad I could come."

In the morning, Hughes beat Vaultier to finish first in his eighth final, while Bolton and Pullin both finished second in their respective heats.

With all three Aussies competing in same semifinal, the pressure was on to secure a top three result for the Big Final.
Pullin was first across the line with Hughes in a close second and Vaultier securing the final spot in the medal run.

David Barden
olympics.com.au

Australia's quartet of 2018 Olympic male snowboard cross athletes have had their second last dress rehearsal before PyeongChang 2018, taking on the final pre-Games World Cup in Bankso, Bulgaria. 

Dual Olympian Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin was the top finisher of the Australians with a 5th place in the final, just weeks before the 30-year-old is set to compete at his third Olympic Games. 

Sochi 2014 Olympian and 2018 Team member, Cameron Bolton qualifed through to the small final where a 3rd place finish saw the 27-year-old record a 9th place finish. The result was a season best for Bolton and his top finish since December 2015. 

"I was happy with the race overall. I was having some trouble in the start section and I was pleased to make the necessary adjustments and lead both the small final and semi final," Bolton said. 

"The race was a step in the right direction and i'm looking to keep building momentum at the next two world cups, leading into the Olympics.

"Bansko put on a great event and Bulgaria is my favourite stop on tour. It's an amazing place."

Despite being the 14th fastest qualifier, Olympic debutant Adam Lambert was disappointed with his Bulgaria World Cup, with the 20-year-old finishing 6th in his 1/8 heat and not advancing to the next round. Lambert ended the competition with a 41st place finish. 

Fellow Australian rider Matthew Thomas finished in 22nd. 

Sochi 2014 Olympian, Jarryd Hughes recorded the fastest qualification time in his second run heading into the finals but a crash in the initial time trial forced him to withdrawn from the event to be on the safe side. 

"I messed up a jump in a time trial and ended up landing 30m further down the course than I intended and had nothing to land on," Hughes said.

"I suffered a bit of bone bruising in the process and decided it was best not to compete this close to the Olympics."
This week's World Cup sees the Australians all sit in the top 20 on the world rankings heading into the Olympic Games with Pullin in 2nd, Lambert in 7th, Hughes in 12th and Bolton in 18th. 

Men's snowboard cross will be held on Day 7 (February 15) at the 2018 Olympics, with the top 40 competitiors in the world all vying for a top spot on the podium.

Ashleigh Knight
olympics.com.au

After electing to skip the last Olympic qualifying World Cup in Turkey last week for more training in Whistler, Canada, Jarryd Hughes will rejoin the Aussie contingent for two more World Cups in Bankso, Bulgaria and Feldberg, Germany over the next two weekends before the Games begin in PyeongChang.

“I’m in Whistler for the first time. It’s pretty fun,” he said last week. “I’ve been here since December 24th with my coaches. It’s just about being here to do what I need to do without distractions.”

Hughes, who won the Montafon World Cup in December, has had a productive time in Canada ahead of the next round of events.

 “At Montafon it was good to finally put another win the column and walk away with a W – that’s just a side piece at the moment and going towards my confidence into the Games.”

“It was good to have my whole team there and work on a few crucial points, crucial points.”

Feeling “healthy, strong and ready”, Hughes says he is looking at the courses in Bansko and Feldberg as an important lead up for different reasons.

“We’ve only had two actual world cup courses this year in Argentina and Montafon with a World Cup standard course. The other two have not really been up to scratch,” he said.  

“Bansko is more of a sprint event, which isn’t really the crucial performance event for me and not a course that will be anything like we are going to race (in PyeongChang).  It’s more to get the team altogether again and touching on finer details.”

“Feldberg will be good to go back after having a strong result there with a podium last year and it was good to work on passing last year after not being where I wanted to be at the start. It’s really cool to work on the passing in that event and good practice going towards the Olympics.”

 “The course in PyeongChang will be 1.20minutes. That’s good for certain people."

The Sochi Olympian, who was just 18-years-old at the time has fond memories of the Opening Ceremony.

“It was really cool to walk out with my friends that I’d done training with and take in the whole Olympic experience,” he recalled. “And, really cool to facetime my parents during the Opening Ceremony. It was as much their opening ceremony as it was mine. They basically walked around with me.”  

The Bansko Snowboard Cross World Cup will be contested this Saturday, January 27. Feldberg on February 4.

Currently leading the World Cup standings is Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin. Adam Lambert is 6th, Jarryd Hughes 10th and Cam Bolton 21st. Also at the starting gate are NSWIS riders Matt Thomas (28th), Josh Miller (32nd) and Adam Dickson (41st).

Belinda Noonan
OWIA
 

Snowboard Cross riders return to World Cup competition this weekend in the last Olympic qualifying event in Erzurum, Turkey with Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin looking to extend his comfortable lead on 3,026 points at the top of the world rankings.

The Erzurum event becomes the first ever Turkish ski resort to host a Snowboard Cross Word Cup and therefore a new venue for Australia’s strong team that includes Alex Pullin, Adam Lambert, Cam Bolton and NSWIS riders Josh Miller, Matt Thomas and Adam Dickson.

Jarryd Hughes is sitting Turkey out, electing instead to train in Whistler, Canada.
 
“We’ve never raced there,” Head SBX coach Ben Wordsworth said about Erzurum. “There won’t be a great deal of snow and we think the course will probably be something close to Cervinia (Italy).”

Pullin, who won double gold in Argentina at the start of the season and a bronze at Cervinia late last year, is an athlete making smart decision says Wordsworth.

“Chumpy is in a good place - a really good place. He didn’t have the results he wanted in December. He wanted to win one of the three races he had, but he managed to pull together some good results and bounced back.”

Coach and athlete have been working together for eight years, with Wordsworth seeing a positive shift in Pullin going towards PyeongChang.

“He’s an older athlete. His decision making is better now and more adaptable to all the situations and he is extremely talented.”

 “He is good at reading race situations, getting into heats and coming out the other end at the final - better than what I’ve seen in the past.”

“Certainly, Chumpy is making good decisions in his racing and it shows. Argentina was back to back (gold). Val Thorens was not so great and then Cervinia (with bronze).  All those decisions make the difference in the long run.”

“One of the big decisions is to stay healthy. (It’s about) racing to your potential.”  

Jindabyne’s Adam ‘Lambo’ Lambert stamped his claim to a potential Olympic selection last season and has only looked forward, now currently fourth on the world leader board on 1,690 points going into Erzurum.
 
According to Wordsworth, Lambert has fitted into the SBX team with ease.

“Lambo’s a good snowboarder and good racer. His results have shown that over the past two seasons,” Wordsworth said.

“There was silver at Val Thorens and he knows what he wants. Lambo is in the sport to have a career and he wants to win races. That’s what drives him – there’s nothing else he’s in it for.”

“He’s the perfect athlete.  He wants results and has fitted in really well - good to travel with and fits into the group. Just got on with it, got results and tried to keep it pretty simple.”  

Australia is looking to qualify four men to PyeongChang and with a strong team, Turkey is the last event to cement a place – a goal that will be high on Cam Bolton’s to do list.

“It was good for Cam being in the top again (Cervinia with a tenth place),” Wordsworth said. “He’s got the skills and we want to see him push toward the small final and final and believe he can do it. It was a super close race in Cervinia.”

“Turkey is the last qualifying. The other three have an opportunity. Should be an interesting race,” he added.

Qualifiers for the Erzurum World Cup stop are on Friday, 19 January from 6.30pm (AEDT).
Finals start at 6.30pm (AEDT) on Saturday. 
 
Live timing links for qualifiers and finals, can be found here
Follow OWIA Twitter for updates here and watch the Finals live on Eurosport from 6.30pm on Saturday, 20 January.
 
Belinda Noonan
OWIA
 

Dual Olympian Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin remains on top of the World Cup Snowboard Cross rankings after winning bronze last night in Cervinia, Italy.  
 
Pullin, who opened his season with a double gold weekend in Argentina, had retained his number 1 status despite electing not contest the finals at Montafon, Austria last week due to risky weather conditions.
 
Opening his Cervinia campaign in emphatic fashion and facing a large field of 79 riders, Pullin qualified in second place on his opening run, guaranteeing a top 16 seeding and entry to the 32-man final. Team mates Cam Bolton and Adam Lambert joined Pullin in the top 32 after hard racing in their second qualifying runs.
 
Pullin and Lambert both won their heats in the opening round of the finals and with Cam Bolton all moved through to the quarters, where Pullin again won but Lambert and Bolton were out in narrow thirds.
 
Experience and smart tactics in the semi delivered Pullin his third medal final of the season – an opportunity he was happy take.
 
“I had a good race and very happy to get a podium and continue to lead the world cup standings,” Pullin said. 
 
“The conditions were challenging with high wind which changed the speed of the features, but I managed to keep a good rhythm and make it to the podium.”
 
The bronze medal win at Cervinia marks his 21st World Cup medal in an international career that began in 2007 and which has included back-to-back World Championship wins and Crystal Globes. 
 
Cam Bolton had a return to the form and a result that he has been after for three seasons as the second highest qualifying Australian and final 10th place.
 
Like Bolton, Adam Lambert narrowly missed the semi-finals and finished overall in 12th.
 
Jarryd Hughes, who just five days ago won the Montafon World Cup, was disappointed to miss the top 32 qualifying time by 0.04 seconds, finding himself in 33rd position and out of the finals.  Matthew Thomas placed 41st,   Adam Dickson 52nd and Josh Miller 72nd.
 
The next Snowboard Cross World Cup will be contested in Ezerum, Turkey on January 19.

Australia’s exceptional start to the Snowboard Cross season has continued after Jarryd Hughes claimed the top spot on the podium at the World Cup event in Montafon, Austria last night.
 
After finishing 26th in qualification, Hughes confidently progressed through the eight final, quarter-finals and semis to make the four-man big final.
 
It was there that the NSWIS rider showed his best as he held off local favourites Alessandro Haemmerle and Markus Scharer of Austria to take the gold medal.
 
"I am absolutely stoked with this result," Hughes said.
 
"I have been working incredibly hard in the off season, so it feels amazing to have that pay off at this event.
 
"This is my second career World Cup win and it's given me a huge confidence boost heading into the Olympic season."
 

With the final featuring Olympic Champions and World Cup winners, Hughes knew he had to be in his best form to secure a victory.
 
“It was a great race with a super-hot and competitive field,” said the 22-year-old Sydney-sider.
 
“I knew I had to step up, calm any nerves and just put down the best run I could.
 
“The fact I was able to execute and get the win feels awesome.”
 
Both Matt Thomas (12th) and last week’s silver medallist Adam Lambert (16th) were knocked out in the quarter-finals. Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin chose to sit out of finals racing and rest up after a crash in training before qualifying.
 
“The depth of Australia’s snowboard cross athlete in the OWIA/NSWIS program is unbelievable right now,” Hughes said with this result seeing Pullin remain on top of the overall World Cup standings, with Hughes now in fourth and Lambert in fifth after four of twelve World Cups.
 
“It puts our country in a great spot leading into the Olympics and that is really exciting.”
 
 

The world's best boardercross athletes are ready to kick off their season in Argentina this weekend with qualifying tonight at the majestic Cerro Catedral.

Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin, Jarryd Hughes, Cam Bolton and Adam Lambert will all be looking for a huge start to their Olympic season with back-to-back races from Friday night until early Monday morning (AEST time) on a 1,000 metres long technical course.  

The Patagonian resort becomes the second ever in Argentina to organise a FIS Snowboard World Cup event since snowboard cross races were staged in Bariloche in 2008 and 2009.

Two-time world champion and 2017 World Championship bronze medallist Alex Pullin arrived in Argentina after winning the Australian New Zealand Cup tour at Mt Hotham in late August.

Jarryd Hughes says the conditions are excellent and he “can't wait for the first race of the season.”

Cam Bolton is very happy with the course saying, “Now that's a start section.”

Coach Ben Wordsworth is happy with his squad.

“The course and conditions in Catedral have been excellent. We had training yesterday, which went well and all the athletes are riding at a high level. The course is technical and that suits our athletes.”


Time schedule

• Friday, Sep 8: Qualifiers SBX 1 at11.30pm AEST.
• Sunday, Sep 10: Finals SBX 1 at 1am AEST.
• Monday: Qualifiers SBX 2 at 10pm AEST, finals at 2am AEST.  

The latest time schedule for the Cerro Catedral World Cup weekend is available online.
 

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. 

It was another successful day of qualifying last night as five Australians made their way through to the finals of the Snowboard Cross world cup in Bulgaria.

The men kicked off the sprint-style event, with Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin (4th),  Cam Bolton (7th) and Jarryd Hughes (19th) all getting the green light after impressive first runs.

Matt Thomas (28th) also made the second round of qualifying runs, with Adam Dickson and Josh Miller just missing the cut for Saturday's finals.

Current world number two Belle Brockhoff then followed the boys, finishing 2nd in qualification with another great run and will take a load of confidence after a tough competition last time out in Solitude.

Coach Ben Wordsworth said the riders have had to adjust to the sprint course, but have done so successfully.

"We try and keep the preparation the same with each event," he explained.

"Good course analysis, plenty of video review and aiming for a fast qualification time for the best gate selection on finals day."

"The times today were all around 19 seconds so it all happens pretty quickly, but the athletes like it technical and it still has some good size jumps which suit our guys."