Aussie Athletes Snare Four Bronze Medals in a Big World Cup Weekend
Mountainwatch | Press Release
It was a big weekend for Australian snowsports athletes, winning four World Cup bronze medals across three disciplines, three of which were won by female athletes.
15-Year-Old Indra Brown Makes History on Debut as Youngest Australian World Cup Medallist
Teenage sensation Indra Brown has delivered a historic debut performance for Australian winter sports, claiming a bronze medal in the freeski halfpipe at Secret Garden, China. At just 15 years of age, Brown becomes the youngest Australian ever to secure a World Cup podium finish.
Competing at the venue of the 2022 Olympic Games, Brown impressed from the outset, qualifying for her first World Cup final in fourth place with a score of 85 points.
In challenging winter conditions during the best-of-two-run final, the Melbourne high school student displayed composure beyond her years, producing two strong performances. Her opening run earned 82 points, securing third place and cementing her place in the history books.
Brown said it was an unforgettable moment to stand alongside athletes she has long admired.
“To podium in my first World Cup is an incredible feeling, especially to be able to share it with my idols,” Brown said.“I was able to keep my composure in the tough conditions today by staying calm and remind myself of what I need to do to land my run.
“To podium in my first World Cup is an incredible feeling, especially to be able to share it with my idols,” Brown said. “I was able to keep my composure in the tough conditions today by staying calm and remind myself of what I need to do to land my run. It’s a dream come true to share the podium with such incredible athletes and it’s a moment I’ll never forget
“The support from home has been amazing, I’ve loved staying connected with everyone and seeing all the messages from friends, family and supporters,” she said.
Brown’s podium result sets the record at 15 years and 10 months, eclipsing snowboarders Torah Bright and Valentino Guseli who both podiumed at age 16 years and 11 months.
Her podium run included a leftside 900, rightside 900, leftside 720, switch rightside 540, switch leftside 360 and finished with an alley-oop 360 with grabs in each jump.
Brown will now head to Colorado for the next World Cup event in Copper Mountain, USA, on December 20.
Hickman’s Olympic Dream One Step Closer After Big Air Bronze Medal
16-year-old snowboard rising star Ally Hickman won her first ever FIS World Cup medal in snowboard big air at Steamboat Springs, Colorado, taking home the bronze.
It was a breakout performance from the Sydney sider, laying down the highest score of anyone in the first of her three runs, with a frontside 1080 with mute and tail grabs earning her 88.00 points.
With the best two of her three runs counting for the overall score, Hickman made two attempts at a backside 720 with melon grab, the second of which earned her 74.25 points to claim the bronze.
The youngster couldn’t quite believe it as her name was called out for the presentation.
“OMG the feeling right now is just insane, this a dream come true,” said an elated Hickman. “I dropped in for my first run, in the air I thought I needed to land this and when I did… just wow. After the first run I tried to forget about it and focus on the next two runs.
“The highlight of the World Cup was competing against [two-time Olympic champion] Jamie Anderson, who made her come back after having two children. She has been a hero of mine growing up,” said Hickman.
Since a young age Hickman has had Olympic aspirations, which now could be a reality come Milan-Cortina in 2026.
“It has always been a massive dream of mine growing up in Malabar, Sydney ever since I started snowboarding at Perisher when I was five years old to go to the Olympic Games.
“I can’t believe the dream could potentially be a reality in a few months,” she said.
The moment made even more special for Hickman, who was able to share it with her dad who has supported her journey from the outset.
“Standing at the top of the jump with my dad, who introduced me to snowboarding, and my coach was pretty special.
“We are now heading to Switzerland to chill out and then heading to Aspen early in the New Year,” she said.
Also competing in the women’s final for Australia was 21-year-old Meila Stalker, in seventh place on 145 points in her second finals appearance of the season.
Hickman’s podium finish moves her to fourth overall in the final World Cup Big Air standings, Stalker is seventh and 2018 Olympic slopestyle bronze medallist Tess Coady sits in 12th. Coady did not compete in Steamboat, opting for training in Europe.
In the men’s event, Australians Jesse Parkinson (27th), Joshua Robertson-Hahn (33rd) and Valentino Guseli (46th) missed the finals.
The focus now shifts to the slopestyle discipline and the final World Cup and Olympic qualification events, kicking off the new year in Aspen with the next competition on January 10.
Double Bronze for Australia (and Jindabyne) in Snowboard Cross World Cup Season Opener in Cervina, Italy
The Australian team has opened the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup season strongly, with Josie Baff and Adam Lambert claiming bronze medals in Cervinia, Italy, under clear skies and the backdrop of the iconic Matterhorn.
Both riders from Jindabyne in the NSW Snowy Mountains delivered great riding throughout the day, with Baff securing her 15th career World Cup podium and Lambert earning his seventh.
After qualifying in second place on Friday, Baff opened strongly, winning her quarter-final before just edging out Austria’s Pia Zerkhold in a photo finish during the semi-final to advance to the big final.
In a very close medal race, victory went to France’s Lea Casta, with Italian Michela Moioli second 0.07 seconds behind and Baff third just 0.14 seconds off the win.
“I love the first race of the season, I am eager to get back racing and I want to beat all of the girls, so I think that’s a big motivating factor for me,” said 22-year-old Baff.
“I have been trying to work on qualifying higher, and I was really happy to come out with second yesterday and that meant I had my choice of gate all day in finals.
“My plan was to win the start section, but in the final I made a mistake in turn one and that cost me the lead, then I adapted pretty quick and try to get in the draft, and came down to all four us coming out of the second last turn so it was pretty wild and a good fight to the finish.”
Lambert impressed winning all of his early heats, culminating in the semi-final where he needed a brilliant late pass and his strong drafting technique to move from third to first. In the men’s big final, Lambert crossed the line in third behind French brothers Jonas and Aidan Chollet.
“Today was awesome, yesterday in qualifying the early runners can get a slower course and I made a mistake, so to be able to get the second run down (in 23rd), and then come out and prove to everyone that I was better than my number predicted, it’s awesome, I love it,” said 28-year-old Lambert.
“We were discussing last night in race strategy there was going to be a lot of draft out of turn five, and plenty of opportunities to gain speed, but overall it was pretty much decided at the finish line.”
Other Australians in action included Mia Clift and Cam Bolton, who reached the quarter-finals to finish ninth and 14th respectively. Missing the finals were Amber Essex (24th), James Johnstone (47th), Declan Dent (48th), Cameron Turner (52nd), and Abbey Wilson, who recorded a DNF in run two of qualifying.
After a break across Christmas and New Year, the Australian team will head to China for the next World Cup in Dongbeiya on January 16-18.
Head to Snow Australia to stay up to date on Australia’s snow athletes World Cup performances and you can catch all the finals action live at ://www.snow.org.au/live
