Historic Gold for James, Silver Breakthrough for Clift and Bolton in St Moritz

Snowboarder Scotty James has won an incredible fourth career halfpipe World Championship gold medal in St Mortiz-Engadin, Switzerland, making it a double medal celebration for Australia after NSWIS athletes Mia Clift and Cam Bolton claimed silver in the snowboard cross mixed team event earlier in the day.

James’ four World Championship gold medals make him the most successful snowboard halfpipe rider in history. Additionally, he has the highest number of World Championship wins among Australian winter sports athletes.

In the best of two run final in blizzard conditions, James opened with a score 89.50 for the highest scoring run of the round, leading Japanese riders Yuto Totsuka on 88.75 in second place and Ruka Hirano third on 88.50.

In the final run, James performed the same tricks but improved his execution and landings to score a huge 95 points. His run including a switch McTwist Japan grab, cab double cork 1080 with grab, frontside double cork 1260 with grab, backside double cork 1080 with grab and switch backside double cork 1260 with grab.

After James’ final run, the two Japanese riders were the only competitors left to go. They both increased their score from the first run, but it wasn’t enough to catch James, with Hirano second on 92.25 and Totsuka third on 92 points.

“Coming out this week it was such a challenge, with the weather and to ride at this level is already so high,” James said.

“And I definitely was sitting there feeling ok when Ruka and Yuto were dropping, they have been riding incredibly well all season and I have had some great battles with them.”

“Halfpipe is a scary sport, and it gets even scary when conditions are tough, I’m really pumped and felt like I had to be resilient today, so I’m stoked.”

“Honestly, I didn’t really know what conditions to expect, ” the 30-year-old added.

“I knew that it was going to be slow and the pipe was full of snow, and maybe runs might be toned down a bit, but then again once the good slip of the pipe gets through and you get a bit of momentum, you can usually get some better runs going.”

“The 2023 World Championships was not a good day for me, I was pretty disappointed with my outcome and I wanted to make a statement for myself personally, that I wanted to come back and finish at the top, to have won four world titles again I’m pinching myself.”

Australia secured its second medal with a silver in the mixed team event, thanks to a strong performance from the Australia 2 pairing of Clift and Bolton. The Australia 1 team, featuring NSWIS athletes Josie Baff and Adam Lambert, finished sixth.

The podium performance is 20-year-old Clift’s first international medal at the highest level, and the first World Championship medal for the 34-year-old Bolton.

Both Australian teams moved through the opening quarter-final round in second place to advance to the semi-finals.

In the semi-final, the Australia 1 team finished third in the opening semi-final, placing them in the small final. Australia 2 also finished in third, but was advanced to the big final after a controversial penalty for contact was given to female USA 1 team rider Acy Craig who had originally crossed the line in second, eliminating them from the competition.

In the big final, Clift and Bolton faced teams France 1, France 2 and Switzerland 1 and first to drop were the male riders with Bolton finishing in third, 0.54 seconds behind France 2.

Clift quickly made up the 0.54 second differential in a very impressive ride under pressure, battling the two French teams which featured the world’s number two and three ranked female riders. Clift passed France 2 by the halfway point of the course and in a tight battle with France 1 which saw both teams exchange the lead in the final section, with Julia Pereira De Sousa of France 1 crossing the line first, 0.20 seconds ahead of Clift, with Switzerland 1 finishing third.

Next for the snowboard cross athletes is the final World Cup of the year in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, where a double event will take place on April 6 and 7. Baff is ranked fourth and Clift 10th on the women’s standings, Bolton seventh and Lambert ninth in the men’s rankings.

Australia currently has three medals at the World Championships in St Moritz, snowboard halfpipe gold to James, silver in snowboard cross mixed teams to Clift and Bolton, and bronze to NSWIS athlete Matt Graham in the dual moguls.

The World Championships conclude tonight in Switzerland, with Australian aerial skiers Laura Peel, Danielle Scott and Airleigh Frigo a strong chance for another medal.

Story: Olympic Winter Institute of Australia

Photos: Chris Hocking