Baumgartner, 44, prepares to defend Mixed Team Snowboard Cross crown from the kids

Four years after Nick Baumgartner (USA) became the oldest Olympic Snowboard medalist in history, he is back for more.

The 44-year-old will defend his Mixed Team Snowboard Cross title tomorrow with a different partner as Lindsey Jacobellis (USA) continues to take a break from the sport after winning the inaugural event at Beijing 2022.

He will team up with fellow five-time Olympian Faye Thelen (USA), who came out of retirement for her two young kids and to inspire mothers.

Beijing 2022 Mixed Team Snowboard Cross silver medalists Omar Visintin and Michela Moioli (ITA) are among the 16-team field at Livigno Snow Park, but are not paired together.

Moioili, the Women’s Snowboard Cross bronze medalist on 13 February, will partner Lorenzo Sommariva (ITA) as Italy look to the duo that finished second at the 2021 World Championships. Visintin is in the second Italian team with Sofia Groblechner (ITA).

Eliot Grondin (CAN) took Beijing 2022 bronze with Meryeta O’Dine (CAN), who is ruled out of these Games with a fractured ankle, and he will be looking for his second medal of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 with the help of Audrey McManiman (CAN).

Grondin picked up another Olympic Snowboard Cross silver on 12 February after he was pipped to the finish line by Alessandro Haemmerle (AUT) for the second straight Games.

The mixed team consists of one man and one woman from the same NOC. Men will start first and women second. The start door for the second competitor in a team will open based on the ranking of the first competitor and the time delay of the first competitor crossing the finish.

France is the only NOC with three teams, including top seeds Loan Bozzolo and Lea Casta (FRA). Bozzolo represents one half of the reigning world champions. The other half, Julia Nirani-Pereira (FRA), and Aidan Chollet (FRA) make up the third seeds.

The second seeds consist of Australia’s Adam Lambert, the current FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup leader, and Josie Baff, the newly minted Women’s Snowboard Cross gold medalist.

Quarterfinals start at 13:45 CET, with the finals from 14:35.

The qualification rounds for Men's and Women's Snowboard Slopestyle will also take place tomorrow, one day earlier than scheduled. The men will kick things off at Livigno Snow Park at 10:15 before the women take to the stage at 14:15.