Podiums and accolades continue to amass for British skiers and snowboarders
Freddy Carrick-Smith opens Bakuriani Games with a bang
Freddy Carrick-Smith delivered a performance for the ages in the opening Alpine races of the Bakuriani European Youth Olympic Festival, taking Gold for Team GB.
Sitting second at the turn, Freddy delivered the fastest second run of the competition to take Gold in a strong field which included three other Brits, including twin brother Zak Carrick-Smith who finished in fifth.
Taylor takes sixth Telemark World Cup podium of season
Jaz Taylor‘s remarkable season continued in typically impressive form with third and fourth place at the weekend’s Sprint World Cup races in Trillevallen. After just missing out on the podium on the first day’s racing, Taylor roared back into the top-3 with a third place finish at the second of the weekend’s races, a result which marked her sixth World Cup podium of the season.
Mia Brookes’ Big Air Crystal Globe lends sparkling finish to Aspen world Cup
Mia Brookes’ incredible consistency on the Big Air World Cup stage was rewarded with a defence of the Crystal Globe she secured last year. Having elected to sit out the final Big Air World Cup of the season on the back of an intense recent schedule, Brookes nevertheless secured the Globe on the back of her World Cup wins in Klagenfurt and Beijing.
Elsewhere in Aspen, Maisie Hill came 17th in the Women’s Snowboard Big Air, Txema Mazet Brown was 50th in the Men’s competition, Kirsty Muir continued her injury comeback with 12th place in the Freeski Big Air, with Caoimhe Heavey in 16th, while Chris McCormick, James Pouch, and Tom Greenway were 24th, 28th, and 31st respectively in the Men’s competition.
Steudle impresses at Alpine World Championships before injury curtails campaign
Roy Steudle was the pick of the British athletes in the first week of the Alpine World Championships in Saalbach, taking 29th place in the Men’s Super-G and giving Britain it’s best result in the event since 2009 in the process. He was joined in the top-40 by Owen VInter who skied impressively to come in in 37th spot.
Unfortunately, Steudle’s World Championships campaign subsequently came to a premature end after sustaining an injury in Downhill Training which ruled him out of the main race and also the Team Combined.
Elsewhere in the first week, the British team of Giselle Gorringe, Lois Jackson, Calum Langmuir, and Owen Vinter finished 14th in Team Parallel after a tough draw against an experienced French team, while Gorringe notched a DNF in Super-G after losing a ski early in the race.
Young Guns impress in Schilpario Cross-Country Championships
The future of Britain’s Cross-Country team looks in good hands after an excellent week of performances from the Junior and U23 squads athe World Junior and U23 Cross-Country Championships in Schilpario.
There were impressive results across the week, but highlights came with a tenth placed finish in the Mixed Relay, coming through from a starting position of 16th, and finishing just behind Canada and the USA.
Elsewhere, Tabitha Williams and Gabe Gledhill delivered strong performances in the U23 10k Interval Start, finishing 19th and 20th respectively.
Nightingale grabs maiden Europa Cup victory
Huw Nightingale took a first career Snowboard Cross Europa Cup victory in Reiteralm. In a strong field comprising youthful and experienced SBX competitors, Nightingale raced brilliantly to come through in a tightly contested Big Final to top the podium in a result which marked a first individual podium since coming second and third in Junior races in Isola 2000 in 2021.
Meenagh delivers solid World Championship showing in Pokljuka
Scott Meenagh’s Para Biathlon World Championships campaign finishing 9th, 7th, and 8th across the competition’s three races.
Scott’s final race, the Individual Biathlon, probably came closest to a podium, where one missed shot out of 20 taken proved to be the difference between his top-10 finish and a podium position.
And the rest…
Scott Johns equalled his best ever World Cup result, with the 21-year-old finishing in 30th spot in Val di Fassa…
Cali Carr was the pick of the Moguls team in Deer Valley, the 17-year-old finishing 20th in the individual contest for her best Individual Moguls World Cup result…
World Cup podiums in China and the US lit up a sparkling weekend
Bankes’ brilliance lights up Beidahu
Charlotte Bankes’ customary brilliance was on full display in Beidahu as the second leg of the Snowboard Cross World Cup circuit yielded a brace of victories for the 29-year-old Brit.
After a fourth place finish in the season’s first World Cup meet, Bankes was on imperious form throughout the weekend’s racing, finishing first in her Quarter, Semi, and Big Final races on both days to give her a commanding lead in the overall season standings.
The results gave Bankes her 22nd and 23rd career World Cup victories, and further stated her case to be recognised as one of the pre-eminent British athletes of her generation.
In the men’s competitions, Huw Nightingale continues to show good progress, finishing inside the top-30 in 28th and 21st place across the two days’ racing, the latter representing his second best career World Cup finish to date.
Atkin and Brookes take Gold and Bronze in Aspen
Aspen proved a fruitful hunting ground for British Park & Pipe athletes once again, with Zoe Atkin securing a brilliant Gold in the Freeski Halfpipe World Cup, and Mia Brookes demonstrating her ability to consistently take podiums with Bronze in the Freestyle Snowboard Slopestyle.
For Brookes, her latest podium marked a third in Slopestyle for the current season in addition to the three Big Air podiums already to her name, with the Aspen Big Air World Cup to follow this week.
Atkin’s victory, meanwhile, gave her a second career World Cup win and a second podium of the season, having previously taken silver at Copper Mountain in December.
In the Women’s Freeski Slopestyle contest, Kirsty Muir marked a remarkable return from a serious knee injury by making Finals in her first competition back on snow for a year, the 20-year-old qualifying in sixth spot, before finishing eighth in Finals as she made an assured return to the competitive scene.
Elsewhere in Aspen there were top-30 finishes for Chris McCormick (Freeski Slopestyle – 27th), Txema Mazet-Brown (Freestyle Snowboard Slopestyle – 26th), Liam Richards (Freeski Halfpipe – 24th), and Siddhartha Ullah (Freestyle Snowboard Halfpipe – 30th).
Meenagh Fourth in Para Biathlon Sprint World Cup
Scott Meenagh took his best result of the season so far with an excellent fourth place in the Val di Fiemme Para Biathlon World Cup Sprint, a result made even more remarkable for coming in Meenagh’s least favoured discipline.
The competition, which comes just before the Para Biathlon World Championships, marks an important step in Meenagh’s preparations for an event which saw him take Britain’s first ever Para Biathlon World Championships medal with silver in the 2023 edition.
Jeannesson and Gerken Schofield impress in Val st come Moguls
Makayla Gerken Schofield‘s return from injury yieleded a first top-10 finish since March 2024 with tenth place in the Val St Come Moguls World Cup, followed by 12th in the Dual Moguls competition. Having not skied competitively for almost a year between March and January, Gerken Schofield’s return has delivered four successive top-20 finishes to reaffirm their position as one of Britain’s most talented Mogul skiers of this generation.
Mateo Jeannesson meanwhile secured a first top-10 of the season with eighth place in the Dual Moguls, having come 30th in the previous day’s individual Moguls competition.
And elsewhere…
Ollie Davies took the weekend’s best British Ski Cross World Cup result with a 28th place finish in Veysonnaz…
James Clugnet and Gabriel Gledhill came 23rd in the Cogne Team Sprint Cross Country World Cup…
Charlotte Bankes secured her second Gold medal of the weekend in another superb showing in China
Charlotte Bankes sealed her dominance of the Beidahu Snowboard Cross World Cup races with her second Gold medal winning performance in two days.
Racing in the same dominant form which secured victory yesterday, Bankes once again took first place in both her Quarter and Semi-final races, before taking the lead out of the gate in the Big Final, a position which she never relinquished.
Bankes’ victory came ahead of Australia’s Josie Baff in second place, with Sine Siegenthaler of Switzerland in third, and Italian racer Michela Moioli in fourth. The result marks Bankes’ eighth podium in her last ten World Cup races, with six of those resulting in Gold medal winning performances.
The Snowboard Cross World Cup circuit continues in Cortina d’Ampezzo on 14-15 February.
Dominant showing secures first World Cup podium of season
Charlotte Bankes secured her first World Cup victory of the season at the second stage of the 2024/25 Snowboard Cross World Cup circuit in Beidahu.
Having qualified for the knock-out stages in first position, Bankes was dominant throughout the day’s races, finishing first at the Quarter and Semi Final stages before executing a perfect race in the Big Final to come through in the final split to take Gold.
Up against Michela Moioli (ITA), Lea Casta (FRA), and Pia Zerkhold (AUT), Bankes demonstrated outstanding speed and racing instinct to take the 22nd World Cup victory of her storied career, and her second in China following a Silver medal winning performance in Secret Garden in 2021.
Speaking afterwards, Charlotte said:
“Today was some super tight racing, but we had a good strategy and good speed so I just tried to stay focused on that. Really happy to pull it off in the final today.
“Great work from the team and looking forward to another race tomorrow.”
Header Image: credit Miha Matavz/FIS
Ski Cross and Snowboard Cross World Cup seasons resume, as athletes spread across Europe, North America, and Asia
Park & Pipe World Cup – Aspen
Aspen plays host to one of the biggest Park & Pipe World Cup meets of the season, with Freeski and Freestyle Snowboard athletes in action across Halfpipe, Slopestyle, and Big Air competitions.
A sizeable British contingent will be set to compete, with Kirsty Muir set to make her return from injury after more than 12 months out of action, Mia Brookes looking to cement a second consecutive Big Air Crystal Globe, and Caoimhe Heavey lined up for her first World Cup appearance of the season.
Zoe Atkin will be back in action in Freeski Halfpipe as will Liam Richards, while in Freestyle Snowboard Halfpipe, Gidget Holden, Siddhartha Ullah, and Aaron Wild are all set to compete.
The Freestyle Snowboard Big Air and Slopestyle contests will see Maisie Hill and Txema Mazet-Brown line up alongside Brookes, and in the Freeski contests, Chris McCormick is confirmed to compete, with Tom Greenway on the standby list.
Aspen World Cup – British Line-Up:
- Zoe Atkin
- Mia Brookes
- Tom Greenway
- Caoimhe Heavey
- Maisie Hill
- Gidget Holden
- Txema Mazet-Brown
- Chris McCormick
- Kirsty Muir
- Liam Richards
- Siddhartha Ullah
- Aaron Wild
Alpine Slalom World Cup – Schladming
The legendary Schladming Night Slalom race will see Billy Major, Dave Ryding, and Laurie Taylor in action, after a successful Kitzbuehel race which saw Ryding and Taylor share 16th spot.
One of the most iconic races on the annual Slalom circuit, Britain’s best Schladming result remains Ryding’s eighth place finish in 2020, while last year’s race saw Ryding finish highest of the Brits in 14th position.
Schladming World Cup – British Line-Up:
- Billy Major
- Dave Ryding
- Laurie Taylor
Para Biathlon World Cup – Val di Fiemme:
Scott Meenagh‘s 2024/25 campaign continues with the first of the year’s Para Biathlon World Cups in Val di Fiemme. Coming just ahead of the Para Biathlon World Championships early next month, Meenagh is set to compete across two days of action in the well-regarded Italian resort.
Val di Fiemme World Cup – British Line-Up:
- Scott Meenagh
Snowboard Cross World Cup – Beidahu
The next step on the Snowboard Cross World Cup circuit takes Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale to Beidahu, in the Chinese province of Jilin, made famous as the site of the 2007 Winter Asian Games.
Following the cancellation of the Dolni Morava World Cup races, Beidahu marks just the second stop on the 2024/25 SBX World Cup calendar, with competitions coming thick and fast throughout February and March, following this weekend’s double-header.
Beidahu World Cup – British Line-Up:
- Charlotte Bankes
- Huw Nightingale
Moguls World Cup – Val St. Come
Following successful returns from injury at least weekend’s Waterville World Cup from Makayla Gerken Schofield and Will Feneley, the full Moguls squad heads to Val St. Come with some encouraging results and positive progress under their belt.
Joining Makayla and Will in the line-up will be the two youngest members of the team, Cali Carr and Mateo Jeannesson.
Val St. Come World Cup – British Line-Up:
- Cali Carr
- Will Feneley
- Makayla Gerken Schofield
- Mateo Jeannesson
Ski Cross World Cup – Veysonnaz
The two-man World Cup line-up of Ollie Davies and Scott Johns are both set to compete in this weekend’s Veysonnaz World Cup, a race which marks the mid-point of the Ski Cross World Cup season.
Double header races will see qualification runs on 30 and 31 January, with Finals set for 1 and 2 February.
Veysonnaz World Cup – British Line-Up:
- Ollie Davies
- Scott Johns
Where to Watch
British audiences can tune in to Eurosport to follow the Schladming Slalom, Val St Come Moguls, Veysonnaz Ski Cross, and Aspen Park & Pipe World Cup competitions throughout the week.
Early SBX action gives promising glimpses for season ahead amid weekend of strong performances
Bankes edged out in Cervinia World Cup Big Finals
Charlotte Bankes’ customary racing instincts were fully on show across the first of the season’s Snowboard Cross World Cup meets as she shot her way to an excellent fourth place at the Cervinia World Cup. Having come through qualifying in excellent form, Bankes made serene progress to the Big Final before seeing herself edged out of the podium positions in a high-quality Final, which saw Lea Casta, Josie Baff, and Maja-Li Iafrate Danielsson take the podium spots.
In the Men’s competition, Huw Nightingale experienced a challenging day’s racing, finishing 43rd after qualifying.
Ryding in top-10 and Taylor impresses at Val d’Isere Slalom
Dave Ryding secured his second top-10 finish of the season and Laurie Taylor his second top-30 at an exhilirating Val d’Isere Slalom World Cup on Sunday. Drawn in bib 1, Ryding looked fast and assured throughout his two runs as he took ninth spot, securing a sixth top-10 finish since the beginnign of last season, and his second in three races during the 2024/25 season, after his seventh place at the Gurgl World Cup.
Taylor again showed his outstanding second run skill to take the second-best World Cup result of his career with a dynamic 12th place finish, only the third time he’s finished in the top-20 after his 19th placed finish at last year’s Kitzbuehel World Cup, and an eighth place finish in Aspen in March.
Billy Major finished just outside the second run qualifying spots as he looks to recepture the form which saw him register back-to-back top-20 finishes at the start of the year.
Clugnet pick of the bunch at DAvos World Cup
James Clugnet took his best World Cup result since February with a 15th place finish in the Sprint F at this weekend’s Davos World Cup and a 17th place finish in the Team Sprint alongside Andrew Young. The SP F result gives Clugnet his fifth top-20 finish of the calendar year, and marks a promising performance ahead of the Tour de Ski over the festive period.
Fresh from his exploits at the Lillehammer World Cup, Andrew Musgrave came 21st in the Team Spring and 27th in the 20km C, while Young added to his Team Sprint result with 56th place in the Sprint F and 63rd in the 20km C.
Cross-Country and Slalom seasons continue alongside first action for three disciplines
Snowboard Cross World Cup, Cervinia
Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale will face their first World Cup action of the season in the Italian resort of Cervinia this weekend. With qualification scheduled for Friday and finals set for Saturday, the season opener takes the team to a course which has seen three podiums for Bankes, with bronze in 2018 followed by bronze and gold in the 2022 double-header contest.
Cervinia Snowboard Cross – British Line-Up:
- Charlotte Bankes
- Huw Nightingale
Para Biathlon World Cup – Vuokatti
Scott Meenagh‘s Para Nordic season also begins this week with three Para Biathlon races at the Vuokatti World Cup. Across the five day contest, Meenagh is slated to start in the Biathlon Sprint, Biathlon Individual, and Biathlon Sprint Pursuit competitions, marking the start of an intense season of Para Nordic competition, including World Championships in early 2025.
Vuokatti Para Biathlon – British Line-Up:
- Scott Meenagh
Alpine Slalom World Cup – Val d’Isere
The Alpine Men’s Slalom team of Billy Major, Dave Ryding, and Laurie Taylor head for the French resort of Val d’Isere for the latest race in the Slalom World Cup calendar. Site of a fifth place finish for Ryding in 2021, the course will be hosting its first World Cup since 2022, when Lucas Braathen, Manuel Feller, and Loic Meillard took podium places.
Val d’Isere Alpine Slalom – British Line-Up:
- Billy Major
- Dave Ryding
- Laurie Taylor
Cross-Country World Cup – Davos
Fresh from their exploits at last weekend’s Lillehammer World Cup, James Clugnet, Andrew Musgrave, and Andrew Young represent British interest at the Davos World Cup races this weekend. The resort, which will feature a 50th-anniversary celebration this weekend, has fond memories for British Cross-Country skiing, marking the venue of Young’s storming second-place finish in the 2020 Sprint World Cup races, which stands as the joint best World Cup result for a British Cross-Country skier.
Across the weekend’s races, Brits will feature in the Team Sprint F, the Sprint F, and the 20km C.
Davos Cross-Country World Cup – British Line-Up:
- James Clugnet
- Andrew Musgrave
- Andrew Young
Ski Cross World Cup – Val Thorens
The first Ski Cross World Cups of the season saw disappointment for Ollie Davies and Scott Johns, with both eliminated during qualification stages. Amid difficult weather conditions which saw the first day’s qualification run suspended and rescheduled, both athletes fell short of the cut-off for Finals, with attention now turning to next week’s Arosa World Cup.
Val Thorens World Cup – British Line-Up:
- Ollie Davies
- Scott Johns
How to Watch:
Viewers in the UK can follow the action for the Alpine, Snowboard Cross, and Cross-Country World Cups live on Eurosport.
Returning three-athlete World Cup Squads joined by seven Europa Cup Ski Cross Squad
GB Snowsport have confirmed a three-athlete Ski Cross and Snowboard Cross World Cup Squad and a seven-athlete Europa Cup Ski Cross Squad for the coming season.
At World Cup Squad level, Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale will once again line up in the individual and Team Snowboard Cross World Cup events for Britain, while in Ski Cross Ollie Davies continues to represent the nation at World Cup level.
The Europa Cup Squad, meanwhile, sees two athletes named for the first time in 2023 Youth Olympian Axel Rose Green and seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Pragnell.
Full Squad Selections:
World Cup Squad
- Charlotte Bankes – Snowboard Cross
- Ollie Davies – Ski Cross
- Huw Nightingale – Snowboard Cross
Europa Cup Squad
- Gregory Baillie – Ski Cross
- Tommy Dade – Ski Cross
- Faith Davie – Ski Cross
- Axel Rose Green* – Ski Cross
- Scott Johns – Ski Cross
- Alannah Lawrie – Ski Cross
- Elizabeth Pragnell* – Ski Cross
*new selection for 2024/25 season
SBX Star’s World Cup season drew to a close with dual victories in Mt. St. Anne SBX Double Header
Charlotte Bankes’ 2023-24 World Cup campaign drew to a close with back-to-back wins in the double header Mt. St. Anne Snowboard Cross World Cup this weekend.
The victories – Bankes’ fourth and fifth individual Gold medal performances this season – saw her secure second spot in the cup standings, and came amid an eight-podium season with Silver in Montafon and Bronze in Sierra Nevada adding to Gold in the opening Team SBX race of the season in Les Deux Alpes back in December.
Bankes’ first victory of the weekend came ahead of eventual Crystal Globe winner Chloe Trespeuch with another French athlete, Lea Casta, in the Bronze medal slot, while Sunday’s race saw her triumph ahead of Michela Moioli of Italy and Australia’s Josie Baff, with Trespeuch in fourth but crucially having progressed far enough in the final race of the season to guarantee the overall title.
Amid a season that got started slowly, Bankes can now point to twenty individual World Cup victories since 2015 to add to two World Championship titles and two Crystal Globes, in a career which is fast becoming one of the greatest ever in British snowsport history.