Josie Baff flashed through each of her races at Milan Cortina 2026 to win gold on Friday — Australia's first Olympic medal ever in women's snowboard cross.
In a thrilling big final that saw all four riders furiously racing for a podium spot, Baff held her early lead. Snowboard cross legend Eva Adamczykova of Czechia followed closely behind to take silver. Host country favorite, Michela Moioli, streaked into 3rd.
"I have scars on my face but Moioli never dies," Moioli said after recovering from a fall during practice to win bronze.
Swiss Noemie Wiedmer finished in 4th in her Olympic debut.
"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," Baff said. "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, the Olympic gold medalist from Sochi in 2014 and bronze medalist at PyeongChang in 2018, did not compete at Beijing in 2022.
"It's a really different story from eight years ago. I always said that I want to complete the collection, so I think it was meant to be," Adamczykova said of completing the trio of medal colors.
The Czech rider is one of several snowboarders in the field returning after stepping away to start families.
"The kid takes the pressure off because after the training you go to the hotel and just take care of the baby. I didn't feel like I was at the Olympics because I was with the baby all the time when I didn't train," Adamczykova said. "It helped, I think, to have a baby. So I really suggest having a baby and then going to the Olympics."
France's Chloe Trespeuch and American Faye Thelen also became new mothers since the Beijing Games.
"I’ve had so many training camps away from home, and it’s only because my partner stayed with our kid that it's possible, that my life as an athlete is possible, because I have a lot of support. I'm very happy to share this [moment] with them," Trespeuch said of training for the Olympics before and after giving birth.
In the earlier rounds, veterans proved the importance of experience. Thelen, the only five-time Olympian in the athlete pool, came from the back of her quarterfinal race to advance to the semifinals after a photo finish with French medal favorite Trespeuch. She finished 7th. Moioli had the Italian crowd biting their nails as she spent most of her semifinal heat trailing last before making a powerful move to finish first, qualifying her for the big final.
French newcomer Lea Casta put together impressive runs, finishing the first of her Round of 32 and quarterfinal heats before coming last in the semifinal and small final races.
"It was a bit of a frustrating race today, because I hoped to get better results, but at the same time I gave the maximum I had. I did everything I could, and it didn’t work out today," Casta said.
Americans Brianna Schnorrbusch and Hanna Percy were eliminated in the Round of 32, while Stacy Gaskill was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Women's Snowboard Cross Medalists
🥇Josie Baff (AUT)
🥈Eva Adamczykova (CZE)
🥉Michela Moioli (ITA)