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Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale have carved their names into the history books, claiming Great Britain’s first ever Olympic Gold medal on snow – and the nation’s first Snowboard Cross podium at an Olympic Games.
The dynamic duo dominated the competition from the ouset, topping both their quarterfinal and semifinal heats, underlying their credentials as genuine medal contenders heading into the Big Final.
Nightingale led the charge in the final, dropping first and delivering a composed run to cross in line in second place, just 0.14 seconds behind France’s Loan Bozzolo, laying a solid platform for Bankes to build on.
Dropping just behind France’s Lea Casta, Bankes immediately got to work, pumping every roller to build speed and close the gap. Carrying crucial momentum into the lower section of the course, she made her decisive move on the final corner, powering into the lead and holding her nerve over the final just to seal victory.
The triumph marked a remarkable comeback for the British pair after disappointment in the individual events earlier in the Games, as well as improving on their sixth-place finish at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
Adverse weather forced the Snowboard Slopestyle qualifications to run a day ahead of schedule, with Txema Mazet Brown, Mia Brookes and Maisie Hill take to the course earlier than planned.
Mazet-Brown was first up for Great Britain in the men’s field, showcasing his creativity through the rails with a stylish backboard under flip 450, before lining up a cab 1260 on the first of three jumps.
However, speed proved costly on both runs – coming up short on his backside 1260 attempt brought his qualification hopes to an end, as he finished 27th overall.
While he was unable to put down a full run, the 19-year-old marked a promising Olympic Slopestyle debut and underlined his potential on the sport’s biggest stage.
Brookes and Hill followed in the women’s competition, each making their Olympic Slopestyle debuts, but both falling on their opening runs, leaving everything to play for on run two.
Brookes delivered one of the most technically demanding rail sections in the field, before executing a frontside 720 and backside 1260 on the jumps. A slip of her cab 900 attempt on the finals feature proved decisive, as she posted a score of 56.52 to finish 17th, narrowly outside the qualification places.
Hill responded strongly on her second run, floating smoothly through the rails before stomping a frontside 720, into back-to-back 540 on the jumps. Her composed performance earned 48.66 and 21st making her the only British rider to land a clean run across the Snowboard Slopestyle qualifications.
With practice time reduced due to the weather-affected schedule, the British trio showed resilience on their Slopestyle debuts, with plenty more promise to come in future competitions.
Chris McCormick closed out his first Olympic campaign, putting on a strong showing in the men’s Freeski Big Air qualifiers, landing back-to-back switch double 1800’s to post a combined score of 127.75.
Despite nursing an injured ankle, the 27-year-old battled through to deliver two solid runs, finishing 21st overall on his Olympic Big Air debut.
For McCormick, it was more than just the result; it was about stepping up and leaving everything on the jump when it mattered most.
The Scotsman’s Olympic journey now draws to a close, but he will be cheering on teammate Kirsty Muir as she takes to the Big Air jump for the women’s Freeski Big Air finals tomorrow night.
