Aussies iced off the podium in Snowboard Cross

Australia’s combination of Josie Baff and Adam Lambert have narrowly missed a medal in the Mixed Team Snowboard Cross, finishing fourth. 

The Jindabyne riders showed why they are individually ranked world number one (Lambert) and two (Baff) by cruising through the quarterfinals and semifinals to line up in the big final. The Australian combination of Mia Clift and Jarryd Hughes finished eighth. 

The teams format sees four male riders race head-to-head, with four women then following in a staggered start based on time differentials. 

The Aussies blitzed their quarterfinal and finished second in their semifinal by a mere 0.04 seconds. 

In the first run of the medal race, Lambert’s board came into contact with Italian Lorenzo Sommariva, causing the Aussie to crash out. 

“I didn’t actually get to make a decision, because the decision was made for me in the air,” he said of the contact. 

“My (board) nose mounted his (board) tail and his tail slipped out, and as his tail slipped out, I lost all contact with my toe side edge. So that’s what sat me down.” 

Baff was left with an almost insurmountable mountain to climb – a four second handicap to start the final run. 

“I was in the (starting) gate thinking, wow, four seconds is a really long time!” Baff, the women’s individual gold medallist said. 

“But then as I dropped out of the gate, I knew that I was strong and my starts were way better today….

Anything’s possible, and I’m going to trust that these three might have some contact lower down, and I want to be in that race if anything does happen. And I guess that was the mindset here.

“I don’t ever give up, not until I cross that line,” the 23-year-old said.

Baff kept her hopes high for chasing them down, but with all riders staying on their feet, it was a gap too big for the Aussie to close, crossing the line in fourth. 

“I know Josie could have pulled back half a second. She probably could have pulled back a second and a half. She’s been riding so well, but four seconds is just slightly too much,” Lambert said. 

Despite coming away from the Games empty-handed, the world number one kept his trademark cool-headed perspective. 

“It’s a tough place to be – fourth at the Olympics, but we’re also at the Olympics and we’re also in the final. There’s only so many people that get to be on the podium. And I’m proud to have been in the final to begin with,” Lambert said. 

Fellow Aussies Hughes and Clift had some courageous battles. In the opening race, Clift clawed back a 1.46 second deficit to finish second and the duo progressed to the semifinals. 

Hughes finished the semifinal in third, 1.27 seconds behind the eventual gold medallists from Great Britain.

While Clift clawed back some time, the Aussies finished third (+0.87 seconds) and settled for a run in the small final where they both crossed the line in fourth (+2.64 seconds). 

“Mimi rode incredibly. She brought us back from the death today, and the result we got is squarely on her,” Hughes said at the end of his fourth Games. 

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t match her level of riding today and how well she was doing it. And I think she deserved much better today.”

Twenty-one-year-old Clift said the Team had drawn inspiration from Baff’s gold medal and Australia’s historic feats at Milano Cortina. 

“That’s bringing everyone’s vibes up… We want to put something down to match everyone else’s success,” Clift said. 

That closes out the Milano Cortina Snowboard Cross competition. It will be written into the history books as the first time Australia has won a gold medal in the sport, and Baff knows her world has changed. 

Baff ate six Weet-Bix for breakfast and the gold medallist with the killer-watt smile and iconic plaits hinted “I would love to be a Weet-Bix kid… Or I’d love a car!”

Australian Olympic Committee