Super Sunday Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale win Mixed Team Snowboard Cross Gold

History was made as Team GB won its first on-snow gold medal at a Winter Olympic Games courtesy of Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale’s triumph in the Mixed Team Snowboard Cross Gold in Livigno.

Both Bankes and Nightingale were out to show the world they could perform better than their individual events in the team competition. The snowboard duo have competed in team events before and were full of confidence leading into Sunday’s race.

The British team were fantastic in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Nightingale kept enough time difference from the first leg, to give Bankes enough of a gap to close. Bankes also had a binding issue before the start of her leg in the semi-final, but that didn’t faze her as she won the race in style.

The final saw four teams battle it out in a fiercely contested final. The margin for error is slim with speeds of 60mph, and any slip is costly. Bankes reeled in her Italian rival and crossed the line first.

Bankes looked stunned in the finish area, as Nightingale embraced her with a big hug followed by further hugs with coaches and family.

Bankes said she was “lost for words”. When talking to BBC Sport
“Huw put me in an amazing position; he’s been riding extremely well and rode today to his full potential,” she said.
“I was in that start gate, knowing I was going for gold.”

Nightingale explained to BBC Sport how the Team event worked to his advantage. “It’s immense. I think we push each other well and for me, I know that Charlotte Bankes is behind me and she’s such an incredible rider that it kind of loosens me up,”
“I know that when I’m loose, I can ride really well and I think we’ve shown that today. The singles were tough but now there are tears of joy.”

Team GB’s medal total is now up to three, thanks to Matt Weston’s victory in the men’s skeleton, followed by Tabitha Stoecker and Weston’s win in the mixed skeleton team event.

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