Breakthrough podiums for Mia Clift to finish snowboard cross season

New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Mia Clift has continued her medal winning streak from last week’s world championships, where she led Australia to a second place finish in the snowboard cross mixed team event, to claim the first World Cup medal of her career with a silver medal performance overnight in Mont St Anne, Canada.

Earlier in the day, the 20-year-old qualified for finals in eighth place, and in head-to-head finals racing advanced through the quarter and semi-final heats in second place to secure a spot in the first big-final medal round of her career.

In the big-final, Clift was drawn with world number one Lea Casta of France and Swiss riders Sina Siegenthaler and Aline Albrecht.

Casta led from start to finish to claim victory, with Clift battling it out with the two Swiss riders. Showing great composure under pressure for the second week in a row, Clift rode strongly in second place for much of the race, and in a photo finish at the line, secured second and first career Word Cup podium.

Rounding out the podium was Siegenthaler in third.

“It was such a fun day overall, I actually felt super chilled throughout the whole day which was nice” Clift said.

“Getting to race the big final with Lea, Sina and Aline was fun, and really pushed each other all the way down.”

The podium performance sees Clift improved to ninth on the rankings. It is also her third consecutive podium result, following silver and bronze in Canada over the weekend and a silver medal in the World Championship Teams event in Switzerland at the end of March.

Other Australian results included NSWIS athletes Josie Baff in ninth place, Jarryd Hughes 14^th, Adam Lambert 16^th, Cameron Bolton 31^st, Declan Dent 36^th and James Johnstone 39^th.

It was a strong finish from the Australian team which had three other athletes join Clift in the top-10: Lambert was fifth, Baff sixth, and Bolton ninth.

All four riders also finished the season ranked in the top-10 on the World Cup standings.

The snowboard cross athletes are back in action again tomorrow, competing in the final World Cup of the season in Mont St Anne.

The victory sees Casta secure the World Cup Crystal Globe on 705 points. Baff is the highest ranked Australia in fourth on 424 points, trailing Julia Pereira de Sousa of France in third by just six points heading into the final day of the season.

Story and Photos: Olympic Winter Institute of Australia