It was a double podium for Australia in Cervinia, Italy overnight with boarder cross athletes Jose Baff and Cam Bolton taking silver in the women’s and men’s events.
Baff, who’s now won ten FIS World Cup medals, qualified in sixth place, and in the finals made it through the quarter-final round in second, then led from start to finish in the semi-final to secure her spot in the big-final medal round.
In the big final, Baff was just behind French rider Lea Casta for most of the race, before Baff closed in at the finish to only narrowly fall short by 0.05 seconds on the finish line. Rounding out the podium in third place was Maja-Li Iafrate Danielsson of France.
“My game plan for today was just to get out in front, and hope that nobody could catch me, as I knew on a course like this it could get interesting with the girls,” said the 21-year-old from Jindabyne
“I definitely had some nerves in the first heat, and then I came into my real snowboarding in the semi-final and big-final. I really thought I could get the win in the end but Lea was just too fast and on point today, and I am happy for her to get her first career World Cup win.”
In the men’s event, Bolton qualified for finals in 21st place, and then raced well all day, winning his opening round heat and quarter-final, and was second in the semi-final to advance him in the big-final.
In the big final Bolton did well to stay clear of a mid-race near collision between reigning World Cup champion Eliot Grondin of Canada and Jacob Dusek of Austria which took Grondin out of the race. Dusek led Bolton for the remainder of the race to take the win, with Bolton’s silver medal his first career podium in Cervinia, Italian Lorenzo Sommariva was third.
“Another event in Cervinia and another couple of podiums, happy for Josie and nice to share the podium with her,” said the 34-year-old Bolton from the Mornington Peninsula.
“Tricky day of racing, it was tight and all the boys were riding well, I struggled in training but then it was good in finals. I actually had some trouble in the semi-final and had a back spasm and wasn’t sure I was even going to be able to ride the finals, so super happy to come away with a second place.”
