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.
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.
Josie Baff (Green) and Mia Clift (Yellow) racing in Beidahu
© Miha Matavz
© Miha Matavz
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