Double snowboard cross silver in Austria ahead of World Championships
Published Sun 23 Mar 2025
Courtesy OWIA
Australian snowboard cross riders have claimed two silver medals at the World Cup in Montafon, Austria.
Adam Lambert was second in the individual event on Friday and then joined with Josie Baff on Saturday for another runner-up placing in the mixed team event. The double podium performance gives great confidence for the Australian team heading into the World Championships next week in the iconic Swiss resort of St Moritz.
Lambert continued his great recent form to make it back-to-back individual World Cup medals, winning every heat from the round of 32 through to the semi-final to secure his place in the big-final.
In the big-final medal round Lambert faced a difficult proposition against three French riders, Loan Bozzolo, Aidan Chollet and Merlin Surget. Lambert was mid-field for most of the final but worked his way into a strong position for the best run to the finish line, overtaking Chollet for second place and the fifth World Cup podium of his career. Bozzolo took the win, Chollett was third and Surgent fourth.
2023 World Championship silver medallist Josie Baff advanced through to her fourth big-final of the season, after crossing the line in second place in her quarter and semi-final heats. In the women’s big-final, Baff finished in fourth place, trailing French women Lea Casta in first, Julia Pereira de Sousa in second and Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain in third.
Other Australian results included Cameron Bolton 13th, Mia Clift 16th, Abbey Wilson 18th on debut, James Johnstone a personal best 24th, Jarryd Hughes 28th, Declan Dent 37th, Cameron Turner 46th on debut and Matthew Thomas 52nd.
Silver for Lambert and Baff in Mixed Team Event
In the mixed team event, Lambert and Baff combined for Australia’s second teams medal of the season.
The pair moved through the quarter and semi-finals in second place to advance to the big-final against France 1, France 2, and Great Britain 1.
First to drop were the male riders and Lambert had a tough heat, almost crashing out in the middle section finishing fourth, 0.44 seconds behind France 1 in first.
Baff rode well in the final women’s run, making up the time differential from the first run early and then battling it out with the two French teams for the win. Baff fell just short of victory in a thrilling photo finish, missing the win by just three hundredths of a second to the France 2 team of Pereira de Sousa and Chollet. Rounding out the podium in third was the France 1 team of Casta and Bozzolo.
Snowboard cross qualifying at the World Championships in St Moritz is on Thursday 27 March with the final the next day, followed by the mixed team event on Saturday. Representing Australia in the women’s event will be Josie Baff, Mia Clift, and Amber Essex and in the men’s event Adam Lambert, Cameron Bolton, Jarryd Hughes, and Declan Dent.
