Promising start for winter sports

NSWIS snowboarder Jarryd Hughes has made the best possible start to the 2013/14 Snowboard Cross World Cup season with a career best finish at the opening event in Austria.

Hughes posted a career best finish of eighth in the men’s snowboard cross event in Montafon to begin the season on a high, notching the result in his first foray into competition after sustaining a series knee injury in February this year. 

Hughes placed fifth in the semi final to move into the support final, eventually finishing second in that event to end the opening World Cup meet in eighth overall.

Fellow NSWIS athlete Cam Bolton finished 19th overall in the men’s event, with Torah Bright and Belle Brockhoff finishing 20th and 13th, respectively.

The 2013/14 Ski Cross World Cup also kicked off over the weekend with the first event in Nakiska, Canada.

Only one of two planned events was run in Canada following extreme temperatures of -35 degrees, with Jenny Owens highlighting the results after a 16th place finish.

Sami Kennedy-Sim finished in 30th place, while in the men’s event Anton Grimus was 19th.