Josie Baff makes Australian sporting history with peerless performance in Women’s Snowboard Cross

Josie Baff delivered a flawless performance to become the first Australian to win the Women’s Snowboard Cross at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno.

Baff was seeded 17^th after the first run of the day and needed a photo finish to progress second from her quarterfinal.

She came from third to first to win her semifinal ahead of Eva Adamczykova (CZE).

In the Big Final, Baff came past Noemie Wiedmer (SUI) and shut the door on the challenge of Adamczykova to seize the title ahead of the Czechia athlete.

It was a third Olympic medal for Adamczykova who now has a full set following gold at Sochi 2014 and bronze at Pyeong Chang 2018 and comes 13 months after the arrival of son Kryštof.

Michela Moioli (ITA) overhauled Wiedmer off the final turn to add bronze to her PyeongChang 2018 crown with the Swiss fourth on her Olympic debut.

Baff is only the second Australian woman to win a snowboarding title at the Olympic Winter Games after Torah Bright won Halfpipe gold at Vancouver 2010 followed by silver at Sochi 2014.

She added: "Once I made it to the Big Final, I knew I could do it, and each round that I make it through, I get less and less nervous. Even though the pressure theoretically should be getting more and more, I trust myself more and more. 

"And I just knew, from no matter what position that I was in out of the start, that I could make a pass and that I had the skills. I just had to let it happen." 

Adamczykova led the way through the seeding run ahead of Frenchwoman Lea Casta, Wiedmer, Julia Nirani-Pereira (FRA) and Chloe Trespeuch (FRA), silver medallist at Beijing 2022.

The action really heated up in the quarterfinals. Adamczykova led the way in the first race with a photo finish needed to separate Baff and Sina Siegenthaler (SUI).

Trespeuch finished third in the second quarterfinal behind Nirani-Pereira and Faye Thelen (USA) ensuring there would be an entirely new podium with the Frenchwoman the only Beijing 2022 medallist competing at Milano 2026.

Moioli and Wiedmer progressed from the third race with Casta and Pia Zerkhold (AUT) through in the last quarterfinal.

Nirani-Pereira was out fast in the first semifinal followed by Adamczykova when Baff spotted a gap and moved from third to first.

The 23-year-old was never going to relinquish her lead with Adamczykova coming past Nirani-Pereira to book her place in the Big Final.

Wiedmer was out fast in the second semifinal ahead of Casta with Moioli at the back of the field after a couple of errors at the start.

The Italian bided her time to move from fourth to first to lead home Wiedmer.

The Small Final

Casta got away fast with Nirani-Pereira in her slipstream before Zerkhold came through to take top spot and seal fifth place overall.

Nirani-Pereira was next home followed by Thelen and Casta.

The Big Final

Wiedmer was out of the blocks fast and settled in at the head of the field followed by Baff, Adamczykova and Moioli.

The Australian again made her move to perfection, moving through on the inside to take the lead ahead of Adamczykova and although the Czechia athlete moved to challenge, Baff cut her off.

There was a sense of relief as well as elation for Adamczykova that she could return to the elite level given motherhood and the progress of the sport.

She was uncertain about returning a year ago after her baby was born but found she missed the sport.

"My family kind of allowed me to do it,” she said. “The baby was super happy travelling, and my husband is not working now to just be with us and support me and my team. So, it means a lot. 

Moioli added: "Today was crazy. It was hard, and I couldn't feel my legs on the start section. But I knew that at the bottom I could do a great race, and I waited until the end, and I did a pretty good job, so I'm super happy.”

Up Next:

Sunday features the return of the Snowboard Cross Mixed Team event, staged for the second time at the Olympic Winter Games following its debut at Beijing 2022. Up to 16 national teams will compete in a knockout format, culminating in a four-team Big Final to decide the medals. Each team consists of one man and one woman: the men race first, and the time gaps at the finish are carried over to the women’s leg, which starts in a staggered format based on those differences. The first woman across the line secures victory for her team.

Medal rounds begin with the quarterfinals at 13:45 CET.