Baff and Jud victorious in SBX at Lausanne 2022 YOG

Jan 21, 2020·Snowboard Cross

Niels Conradt GER (blue bib, Silver Medalist), Alvaro Romero ESP (yellow bib, Bronze Medallist), Valerio Jud SUI (red bib, Gold Medallist) and Quentin Sodogas FRA (green bib, fourth place) during the Final of the Snowboarding Men’s Snowboard Cross at Villars Winter Park. The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lausanne, Switzerland, Monday 20 January 2020. Photo: OIS/Ben Queenborough. Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC.

Australia’s first Winter Youth Olympic Games gold medal arrived in the most dramatic of circumstances on Monday at Villars Winter Park as Josie Baff (AUS) won the women’s snowboard cross final by just 0.05 seconds.

Baff (pictured above in the red bib) pipped Margaux Herpin (FRA) to grab what was also Australia’s first medal of the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games. Anouk Doerig (SUI) got the bronze.

“I’m stoked, I’m shocked, I’m very overwhelmed,” Baff said. “The conditions were perfect. Everyone was racing so well. Every single race has been insanely close. Something hit me at the end to win it. I don’t remember much about the race. My mum and dad are in tears and so was I. Everyone will be so happy back home.”

In the men’s event it was business as usual for Switzerland, who have won gold medals on all but one of the competition days at Villars. Valerio Jud (SUI) prevailed in another close contest.

“I feel really happy,” he said. “The race was a little bit sketchy but the end was good. Having the support from the crowd was very nice.”

Niels Conradt (GER) got silver and Alvaro Romero (ESP) bronze.