A tough day at Snowboard Cross

Courtesy Australian Olympic Committee

The Australian men’s snowboard cross team had a tough day at the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, with the trio of Adam Lambert, Jarryd Hughes and James Johnstone unable to qualify past the first run.

Conditions turned bitter from the morning to the afternoon session, providing an extra level of complexity for the tough course.

For 21-year-old Johnstone, his last minute call-up after four time Olympian Cam Bolton was ruled out, meant that he had only been on the course three times before today’s competition.

Despite the short lead in, the Scots College alumni marveled at achieving his childhood dream of becoming an Olympian.

“I probably didn't get the result I was after… but it's pretty nice to finish the day feeling like I've ridden well, and that's what I came here to do. I'm very happy,” said a smiling Johnstone.

It was a magical day regardless. The snowboard cross team were at the top of the course watching fellow Aussie Cooper Woods win gold in Moguls before they started. Johnstone said he couldn’t be happier for Cooper, who has become a good friend since he joined the World Cup circuit.

“I was standing at the top. We had about 20 minutes before our competition started, and I could see the moguls course about three kilometres away. I had the scores on my phone, and I could see this little dot [Woods] coming down, because I knew he was the last one, and it looked like a good run from here.

“Then we waited for the scores, and we kept a pretty hush up there, because we're pretty focused.

“[Woods] has a great character and he's one of the most supportive people I know. He reaches out to me more than a lot of people in the snow sports world, and since I came onto the national team about three years ago, we've become really close friends, and he's always there to support me and check,” he said.

Hughes said he watched Woods’ gold medal winning performance too, streaming the coverage while catching a ski lift to the top of the course.

“I was in the gondola, watching it on Stan, and just loving life, but also trying to focus on what I do.  I was screaming, ‘oh my god, Coop, you've done it,’” said Hughes.

For 30-year-old Hughes, a four-time Olympian and silver medallist in Pyeongchang, he declared this would be his last Olympic Games. Coming into the Games with a foot injury that has impacted his ability to walk, Hughes said he was proud to be on the start line one last time.

“It’s astronomical [to be here]. I didn't think I would make this Games let alone be on snow at this point. It's been nice to be able to do it, because the last 10 months have been kind of hell.

“I couldn't walk for four months, and then trying to get back on a snowboard and compete at the top level. It's nice to be here and compete at my fourth Olympics,” he said.

For world number one, Lambert, today’s results were tough with the boy from Jindabyne carrying high hopes of a podium finish.

“Pretty disappointed overall, obviously. My training over the last few days definitely indicated I was better than that.

“Things come at you fast when you're riding sometimes. I made a small mistake in the start, which had me in fourth, and then as I was trying to make a move into third, I collapsed a little bit in turn four, lost the bit of the speed that I was building, and from there just kind of just ran out of the back a little bit and couldn't make it back through.

“The course is good. The weather has changed a bit since this morning's qualifying, but at the end of the day, the weather's not the reason I didn't go through. Everyone's got the same conditions to contend with.

“The [snowboard cross] girls race tomorrow and then the team event. The teams have yet to be decided, but even if I'm not racing, it's another chance for Australia.

“At the end of the day, we're here to represent our country, and I'm hoping that the border cross team can still carry the flag a little bit and get a medal. But, today was tough,” he said.

The Women's Snowboard Cross event will be held at Livigno Snow Park on Friday 12 February, before two men and two women return for the Mixed Teams Snowboard Cross event on Sunday 15 February.

Photo Credit: Australian Olympic Committee/Getty Images