Double snowboard cross bronze for Australia in Olympic season opener

The Australian team has opened the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup season strongly, with New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) pair Josie Baff and Adam Lambert claiming bronze medals in Cervinia, Italy, under clear skies and the backdrop of the iconic Matterhorn.

Both riders from Jindabyne in the NSW Snowy Mountains delivered great riding throughout the day, with Baff securing her 15th career World Cup podium and Lambert earning his seventh.

After qualifying in second place on Friday, Baff opened strongly, winning her quarter-final before just edging out Austria’s Pia Zerkhold in a photo finish during the semi-final to advance to the big final. 

In a very close medal race, victory went to France’s Lea Casta, with Italian Michela Moioli second 0.07 seconds behind and Baff third just 0.14 seconds off the win.

“I love the first race of the season, I am eager to get back racing and I want to beat all of the girls, so I think that’s a big motivating factor for me,” said 22-year-old Baff.

“I have been trying to work on qualifying higher, and I was really happy to come out with second yesterday and that meant I had my choice of gate all day in finals. 

“My plan was to win the start section, but in the final I made a mistake in turn one and that cost me the lead, then I adapted pretty quick and try to get in the draft, and came down to all four us coming out of the second last turn so it was pretty wild and a good fight to the finish.”

Lambert impressed winning all of his early heats, culminating in the semi-final where he needed a brilliant late pass and his strong drafting technique to move from third to first. In the men’s big final, Lambert crossed the line in third behind French brothers Jonas and Aidan Chollet.

“Today was awesome, yesterday in qualifying the early runners can get a slower course and I made a mistake, so to be able to get the second run down (in 23rd), and then come out and prove to everyone that I was better than my number predicted, it’s awesome, I love it,” said 28-year-old Lambert.

“We were discussing last night in race strategy there was going to be a lot of draft out of turn five, and plenty of opportunities to gain speed, but overall it was pretty much decided at the finish line.”

Other Australians in action included Mia Clift and Cam Bolton, who reached the quarter-finals to finish ninth and 14th respectively. Missing the finals were Amber Essex (24th), James Johnstone (47th), Declan Dent (48th), Cameron Turner (52nd), and Abbey Wilson, who recorded a DNF in run two of qualifying.

The World Cup weekend in Cervinia will conclude tomorrow with a mixed team event featuring two Australian pairings. 

Snow Australia