Super snowboarders cap stunning week of British snowsport
Brookes brilliant in Beijing
Mia Brookes took the first of what are sure to be many career World Cup victories with a superlative performance at the Beijing Big Air World Cup. With a World Championships title and five World Cup podiums under her belt going into the Beijing contest, Brookes’ maiden World Cup victory came courtesy of a dominant Finals performance that showcased her new Dub 12 backed up by the Cab 1440 to put her top of the podium.
Elsewhere in Beijing, Maisie Hill‘s first Big Air World Cup appearance of the season landed a 21st place finish, while Txema Mazet-Brown finished the men’s contest in 38th place having come close to landing a Cab-18 on two attempts in qualification.
In the Freeski contest, Chris McCormick was again the pick of the bunch finishing 17th with a score of 156.75, with James Pouch in 34th and Tom Greenway placing 44th.
Hill lands Bronze in Landgraaf
The opening Para Snowboard World Cup of the season saw Ollie Hill take Bronze in the second of the week’s double header races. Qualifying for the Small Final, Hill’s time of 34.80s was enough to land him a podium spot ahead of America’s Zach Miller, in a reversal of the first day’s results. Gold and Silver were taken on both days by Italy’s Emmanuel Peranthoner and Australia’s Ben Tudhope respectively.
Elsewhere in Landgraaf, James Barnes Miller finished just outside the medals with a second day fourth place following fifth on the first day’s racing, while Matt Hamilton bagged a pair of eighth place finishes, and Nina Sparks took seventh and eighth.
Davies matches career-best World Cup result
Joe Davies demonstrated his rich potential at the Ruka Cross Country World Cup, finishing 16th in the 20km Free Mass Start, equalling his previous career-best World Cup finish in the process. The 23-year-old, racing in only his third year on the World Cup circuit, raced brilliantly to finish in a time of 46:36.5 a little over 20s outside of the top-10. In the first of the weekend’s races and in his less favoured discipline, Davies managed a 54th place finish in the 10km Classic.
Moguls season underway with promising results for Carr and JEannesson
The Moguls World Cup season got underway with promising performances from a youthful British World Cup Squad pairing of Cali Carr and Mateo Jeannesson. Carr, 17, finished 24th in a strong field for her best single Moguls World Cup result to date, while Jeannesson, who enjoyed a breakout season in 2023-24, finished 19th for a fifth top-20 finish since the start of his World Cup career in the 2021-22 season.
Palla builds experience in Killington
Victoria Palla‘s World Cup career continued with a sixth World Cup start, and her first in North America, at the Killington Slalom World Cup, ending in a first run DNF.
Taylor’s Telemark season opens with FIS race podium
Jaz Taylor‘s 2024-25 season got underway with a third place finish at the season-opening FIS Sprint races in Hintertux. The reigning Crystal Globe holder came in in 2:16.55 to finish in the Bronze medal slot, behind Goril Strom Eriksen in second and Argeline Tan Bouquet in first.
Ollie Hill’s World Cup season off to strong start with Para snowboard team’s first podium of season
Ollie Hill got the Para Snowboard World Cup season off to a strong start with Bronze at the second of this week’s Banked Slalom World Cup races in Landgraaf.
After a strong showing on the first day’s competition landed a fourth place finish, Hill went one better in the second of the World Cup double header, triumphing over the USA’s Zach Miller in the Small Final by just under two tenths of a second to take third spot.
Speaking afterwards, Ollie said:
“I was happy but disappointed yesterday to get fourth, missed out by a couple of tenths, and knew I needed to sort myself out today, work on a few of the mistakes we had yesterday. Today didn’t start so well, after I crashed out on the training run, but managed to get stronger and stronger throughout the day and the time when it needed to count the most, I put down a heater when I needed to, and there we go.
“Obviously it’s tight racing, but just really happy to be back in the mix. I want to thank the coaches and all the people who’ve supported me through the surgeries and the rehab over the past couple of years.”
Season openers for Para Snowboard, Cross-Country and Moguls join Park & Pipe and Slalom World Cup meets
Para-Snowboard World Cup, Landgraaf
The Para Snowboard squad are set for their first World Cup of the 2024/25 season with a four-athlete line-up set for back-to-back Banked Slalom races on the indoor slopes of Landgraaf.
The full World Cup squad of James Barnes-Miller, Matt Hamilton, Ollie Hill, and Nina Sparks are set to compete at a venue which has seen notable prior British successes, including Gold and Silver medals for Hill in 2022.
Landgraaf Banked Slalom – British Line-Up:
- James Barnes-Miller
- Matt Hamilton
- Ollie Hill
- Nina Sparks
Moguls World Cup, Ruka
The Finnish resort of Ruka will play host to the opening Moguls World Cup competition of the season and the first contest in the Milan-Cortina qualification period.
Three Brits are slated for the start line, with Cali Carr and Mateo Jeanneasson, alongside Will Feneley who is set to make his long-awaited return from a serious knee injury which caused him to miss the whole of the 2023/24 World Cup season.
For Jeannesson and Carr, the competition marks their first competitive action since the World Junior Championships in April, from which the former emerged with Gold and Bronze medals.
Ruka Moguls World Cup – British Line-Up:
- Cali Carr
- Will Feneley
- Mateo Jeannesson
Cross-Country World Cup, Ruka
Ruka also sees the Cross-Country World Cup season get underway with 10km Interval Classic, Sprint Classic, and 20km Mass Free races across a three day stretch.
British interest will come in the shape of 23-year-old Joe Davies, in his sixth World Cup meet and first in Finland.
Ruka Cross-Country World Cup – British Line-Up:
- Joe Davies
Park & Pipe Big Air World Cup, Beijing
The world’s only permanent Big Air ramp will host the Beijing Big Air World Cup, with Freeski and Freestyle Snowboard athletes both set to compete in the Chinese capital.
Mia Brookes starts as Britain’s most highly-favoured athlete with her second Big Air World Cup start of the season with Maisie Hill and Txema Mazet-Brown rounding out the Freestyle Snowboard line-up.
In the Freeski competition, Tom Greenway, Chris McCormick, and James Pouch are slated to appear in a repeat of the line-up that skied impressively at the Stubai Slopestyle World Cup last weekend.
Beijing Big Air World Cup – British Line-Up:
- Mia Brookes (Freestyle Snowboard)
- Tom Greenway (Freeski)
- Maisie Hill (Freestyle Snowboard)
- Txema Mazet-Brown (Freestyle Snowboard)
- Chris McCormick (Freeski)
- James Pouch (Freeski)
Alpine Slalom World Cup, Killington
Vici Palla will make her third World Cup start of the season at the Thanksgiving Weekend Slalom races in Killington, USA, in her first competition in North America since triumph in the NorAm Slalom Cup in 2023/24.
The Killington slope was the location of a top-30 finish for Charlie Guest in 2021, who also lined up for the North American races in 2022 and 2023.
Killington Slalom World Cup – British Line-Up:
Vici Palla
How to Watch:
The Killington Slalom, Ruka Cross-Country, Ruka Moguls and Beijing Big Air are all available for UK viewers to watch on Eurosport. The Landgraaf Para Snowboard World Cup results will be tracked live on FIS-Ski.com
Thirteen athletes named across three squads for beginning of Milan-Cortina qualifying period
GB Snowsport are delighted to confirm the selection of 13 athletes to represent Britain in Para Snowsport competition for the season ahead.
Marking the beginning of the qualification period for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games, the coming season is expected to feature a full World Cup and World Championships calendar across Para Alpine Skiing, Para Nordic Skiing, and Para Snowboard.
British representation features three Paralympic medallists in Para Alpine skiers Menna Fitzpatrick (who will again be guided through the season by Katie Guest), Neil Simpson (with Andrew Simpson and Rob Poth sharing guiding duties), and Para Snowboarder Ollie Hill, while Scott Meenagh (Para Nordic) and James Barnes-Miller and Nina Sparks (both Para Snowboard) also boast World Championships podiums among their notable results. Matt Hamilton, rounds out the Para Snowboard team following some strong performances in his debut season.
The Para Alpine team will also see one new athlete in Hester Poole, who is joined by her guide Alistair Hall, while Adam Hall is also named as an additional guide.
Full Squad Selections:
Para Alpine
- Menna Fitzpatrick
- Katie Guest (Guide)
- Adam Hall (Guide)
- Alistair Hall (Guide)
- Hester Poole
- Rob Poth (Guide)
- Andrew Simpson (Guide)
- Neil Simpson
Para Snowboard
- James Barnes-Miller
- Matt Hamilton
- Ollie Hill
- Nina Sparks
Para Nordic
- Scott Meenagh
The Para Alpine World Cup season is due to get underway with speed races from Steinach am Brenner from the 10th – 13th December. Para Snowboard kick off their season in familiar territory with the Banked Slalom World Cup in Landgraaf from the 27th – 29th November whilst the first Para Nordic competitions are in Vuokatti from the 11th – 16th December.
Header Image: Tom Hardman
October session to help budding Paralympians to discovery pathways into High-Performance Winter Sport
ParalympicsGB have partnered with British Curling, Disability Snowsports UK, Snowsport Scotland, Snowsport Cymru Wales, Snowsport England, and GB Snowsport to offer opportunities for budding winter Paralympians to discover their Paralympic Potential.
On Saturday 26 October 2024, events will be held at Preston’s Flower Bowl and Chill Factore in Manchester, providing those seeking a competitive pathway in winter sport with the opportunity to be matched with a qualified coach from Para Snowboard, Para Alpine Skiing, Para Nordic Skiing, or WheelChair Curling, participation in a small group coaching session, and information on the sport, classification, and pathways for continued involvement in some of the country’s most exciting winter sports.
For more information, detailed timings, and sign up opportunities visit the Discover Your Paralympic Potential registration site at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JjgE4NIKfE2xcxCY01G5_bqqffoYZ59IlTMN2qYi40ZUMU44NDFVTVQyV0ZVVUxBQ05SUlRIQVJaUy4u&origin=QRCode.
Charlotte Bankes’ run of hot form continued, while Mia Brookes and Zoe Atkin impressed at Dew Tour
Bankes takes Gold in Cortina
Charlotte Bankes’ sensational recent form continued at this weekend’s Cortina Snowboard Cross World Cup, with the reigning Crystal Globe holder taking her third solo victory and fourth individual podium of the season.
In a scintillating display of Snowboard Cross racing, Bankes took top spot in qualifying and followed that up with first place finishes at Quarter and Semi Final stages, before putting in another outstanding performance to clinch victory.
Bankes now sits third in the overall season standings on 427 points, just 95 points behind Chloe Trespeuch in top spot.
Brookes and Atkin on fire at Dew Tour 20th anniversary competition
Mia Brookes and Zoe Atkin both took podiums at Dew Tour as the invitational event celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Brookes, competing in the Snowboard Streetstyle, put in a dominant display to further enhance her reputation as one of the world’s great rail riders, taking victory and best trick in commanding fashion. Atkin, meanwhile, added yet another podium to her season collection with Silver in the Freeski Superpipe contest, with her score of 94.00 coming just short of Eileen Gu’s 96.33 in first place, while also tying for highest amplitude recorded at 12’3”.
Gerken Schofield into top-10 in Almaty
Makayla Gerken Schofield notched their second top-10 of the season with tenth spot at the Almaty Moguls World Cup. After an injury-impacted season, Gerken Schofield’s tenth place finish marked their first Single Moguls top-10 of the season and eighth overall, as they looked to be getting back towards the form that saw them record seven top-10 finishes including a podium in the 2022/23 season, while they also recorded a 16th place finish in Dual Moguls.
Mateo Jeannesson finished just outside of the top-10 in both Single and Dual Moguls taking 23rd and 21st spots respectively.
Alpine and Para Alpine circuits fall victim to climate conditions
The Men’s Slalom and Para Alpine races scheduled for Kranjska Gora were cancelled owing to poor snow conditions amid on-going warmer weather conditions across Europe. The cancellations mean the end of Billy Major and Laurie Taylor’s Slalom World Cup seasons, while Dave Ryding will go on to compete at the Slalom Final in Saalbach. Para Alpine will be seeking to reschedule their own Finals, pending the outcome of negotiations with alternate venues.
2023/24 season explodes into life with day of stunning results
Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale take sensational Team SBX Victory
Reigning Mixed Team Snowboard Cross World Champions, Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale, opened their season in outstanding style with Britain’s first ever Team Snowboard Cross World Cup victory at Les Deux Alpes. In a strong field and amid challenging conditions, Nightingale and Bankes rode flawlessly to back up their breathtaking World Championships win with another superbly executed demonstration of Team Boardercross action.
The following day’s solo competition saw disappointment for Bankes as she failed to make it through the qualifying heats, but Nightingale recorded a personal best 16th place finish, improving on his previous PB set at the Mt. St. Anne World Cup in March.
Muir Majestic in Beijing
Returning to the site of the Beijing Olympic Winter Games Big Air competition, Kirsty Muir delivered an astonishing display of Big Air skiing to land second place among a field of the world’s strongest Big Air athletes. The result gave Muir her third career World Cup podium and a first in the Big Air discipline, having recorded top-10 finishes in her previous two Big Air competitions in Chur and Copper Mountain last year.
In the Freestyle Snowboard competition, Mia Brookes delivered another excellent performance to take fourth place in one of the highest calibre Big Air World Cup contests of recent years. Mia, who qualified in first place, looked on course for another podium position before high-scoring jumps from Anna Gasser, Tess Coady, and Miyabi Onitsuka nudged her just out of the top-3.
In the Men’s competitions, Billy Cockrell’s first World Cup of the season saw him finish in 39th spot, while Freeskiers Tom Greenway and Chris McCormick finished in 29th and 46th spot respectively.
Musgrave pushing for podiums in Cross-Country
Andrew Musgrave’s strong start to the Cross-Country World Cup season continued in Gallivare with fifth place in the 10km Free Interval Start. Once again, Musgrave was the only non-Norwegian skier in the top-5, finishing just 1.3s outside of the podium places and only 6.4s behind race winner Paal Golberg. The result continues Musgrave’s excellent early season form which has already delivered three top-10 finishes in four World Cup races.
Andrew Young put in an impressive showing to break into the top-30, while Joe Davies finished 34th putting him in third spot in the U23 rankings.
Jeannesson breaks new ground in Ruka Moguls World Cup
19-year-old Mateo Jeannesson obliterated his previous World Cup personal best with an astonishing sixth place finish at the Moguls World Cup opener in Ruka. Marking his first time making the Super Finals stage of a World Cup competition, Mateo skiied with skill and verve to push himself into the top-6 for the first time at World Cup level, as one of only two teenage skiers to make the top-10.
The result demolishes a previous personal best of 19th set in Deer Valley in February.
Para Snowboard Season gets underway in Landgraaf
The first events of the Para Snowboard season saw Nina Sparks and James Barnes-Miller both take a sixth and seventh place finish in back-to-back Banked Slalom World Cup races in Landgraaf. In the Europa Cup competition, Matt Hamilton was the standout performer with third and fourth place finishes, while Jack Silverwood took a fifth and a seventh, and Scott McNeice seventh and ninth.
GB Snowsport has today confirmed the selection of 14 athletes to the Para Alpine, Para Nordic, and Para Snowboard squads ahead of the coming season.
A ten-athlete Para Alpine squad featuring luminaries of the sport Menna Fitzpatrick and Neil Simpson is joined by a returning three-person Para Snowboard team, with Scott Meenagh named as the sole representative of the Para Nordic squad.
Fitzpatrick and Simpson are named alongside Shona Brownlee, Alex Slegg, Michael Kear, and VI Guides Katie Guest, Andrew Simpson, Rob Poth, Adam Hall, and Louise Harrison in a Para Alpine squad rich in experience and success over recent seasons.
The Para Snowboard squad remains unchanged from last season, with James Barnes-Miller, Ollie Hill, and Nina Sparks seeking to build on a series of high-grade performances last year which returned multiple World Cup and World Championships podiums across the team.
Scott Meenagh, meanwhile, returns in the Para Nordic squad having made history last season with a first ever World Championships medal, delivering on the rich promise that British Para Nordic skiing has shown throughout the past few years.
GB Snowpsort Para Programme Manager, James Redpath, said:
“The stability and success of our Para Snowsport squads has been really clear over recent seasons, and that’s reflected in the growing list of race and competition victories held by athletes named in these squads today.
“This is a really important season for all of our athletes, many of whom will have ambitions to compete at the next Paralympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina in 2026, and I’d like to congratulate all of them alongside their coaching and support teams for their selections today.”
With pre-season training underway and a number of athletes making their way back from injury, the countdown to the season is on with the first Para Snowboard World Cup scheduled for Landgraaf in late November, while the Para Alpine World Cup season is slated to begin in Steinach am Brenner in mid-December. The Para Nordic calendar is expected to be confirmed shortly.
Full Squad Lists
Para Alpine
- Shona Brownlee
- Menna Fitzpatrick
- Katie Guest (Guide)
- Adam Hall (Guide)
- Louise Harrison (Guide – Invitational)
- Michael Kear
- Rob Poth (Guide)
- Andrew Simpson (Guide)
- Neil Simpson
- Alex Slegg
Para Nordic
- Scott Meenagh
Para Snowboard
- James Barnes-Miller
- Ollie Hill
- Nina Sparks
We look forward to working with Phil Smith in the build-up to the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games
GB Snowsport are delighted with the news of ParalympicsGB’s appointment of Phil Smith as Chef de Mission of the British team for the Milan-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games,
Phil, who has built strong relationships with members of the GB Snowsport Paralympic discipline squads, held the same role at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games and has been a staunch supporter of British Paralympic skiers and snowboarders throughout his time at ParalympicsGB.
We look forward to working with Phil again in the coming years, and hope to enjoy more positive results at the Milan-Cortina Games following the significant successes seen in Beijing.
Find out more about Phil Smith’s appointment from the British Paralympic Association here.