World Championships Gold for GB Snowboard Cross Team

2nd March 2023

Last modified on March 30th, 2023

Snowboarders Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale are Great Britain’s latest World Champions. It’s the second gold for GB at the Freestyle World Championships in Georgia.

Charlotte Bankes put the disappointment of failing to defend her individual Snowboard Cross world title on Wednesday to take team gold with Huw Nightingale 24 hours later.

One of the hot favourites for the women’s event, Bankes crashed out in the first round.

No such bad luck when she teamed up with Huw Nightingale for the mixed team event.

They took the title ahead of runners-up, Austria’s Jakob Dusek and Pia Zerkhold, and Merlin Surget and Chloe Trespeuch of France who took the bronze medal.

It is a sensational result for the pair.

Huw Nightingale & Charlotte Bankes 2023 SBX Team World Champions. Image c/o GB Snowsport

It’s the first time GB has been on a Team Snowboard Cross podium at a World Championships.

The discipline was introduced at the 2017 Sierra Nevada Championships.

And it’s a first major title for 21-year-old Huw Nightingale.

He was competing at his first World Championships and only began racing on the World Cup circuit in the 2021/22 season.

“It’s unbelievable. I can’t really describe it right now to be honest. It’s just so fulfilling,” he said.

Huw Nightingale & Charlotte Bankes celebrate. Image © GEPA Pictures/FIS

By comparison, 27-year-old Charlotte Bankes is a veteran.

This is her 5th World Championships and her second win for GB, having taking the individual title in 2021.

“It was a crazy race in tough conditions but we managed it really well thanks to the team around us,” she said.

“We both rode at our best today, like we’ve been riding in training and that’s just amazing to be able to come away with the gold medal together.

“The team put us in the best conditions. I’m so pleased that we were able to stick it down today.”

Huw Nightingale & Charlotte Bankes 2023 SBX Team World Champions. Image c/o GB Snowsport

Watch each of the runs in the final that earned them the title.

They’re in the yellow bibs – Huw is goes in the first race and Charlotte in the second.

It’s another huge success for the GB Snowsport team.

“It’s sort of hard to put today into words,” GB Snowsport Head Coach, Pat Sharples, said.

“After the disappointment of yesterday, today’s win for Charlotte and Huw makes it even more special.

“Huw performed at his absolute best we’ve ever seen him in competition and shown he’s going to be a big contender in this sport for many years to come!

“Charlotte Bankes once again proved she’s the best in the world. Huge props to the team behind the team; the coaches and support staff. Every one of them deserves this win.”

Vicky Gosling, GB Snowsport Chief Executive, said everyone was so proud of Huw and Charlotte.

“As a team, they’ve worked so hard in the build-up to these World Championships, and to see them go out there, perform like they did, and bring home the World Championships title is absolutely amazing.

“We’re all so delighted for them.”

It comes three days after GB’s first gold at the Freestyle World Championships in Bakuriani, also in snowboarding.

Mia Brookes, the 16-year-old sensation, made sporting history when she won the Snowboard Slopestyle title.