Winter Olympics 2026: Team GB's Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale savour 'iconic' and 'unreal' gold medal in mixed team snowboard cross
Published 15/02/2026 at 16:30 GMT
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Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale have written themselves into the history books after bagging the first-ever British gold medal on the snow at the Olympic Winter Games. They finished first in the mixed team snowboard cross, with Bankes calling the achievement “unreal” after finally getting her hands on an Olympic medal. The Milano Cortina Games are live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Watch: 'What a moment' for GB as Bankes and Nightingale get their golds at medal ceremony
Video credit: TNT Sports
Team GB have won a second gold medal of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, and it came courtesy of Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale in the mixed team snowboard cross.
The duo fought hard to make it through to the final, which featured just the four teams. As such, their chance of a medal was high - but a medal was not what these two came to Milano Cortina for.
Instead, they both rode brilliantly to take gold from Italy and France, with Australia the ones to miss out.
For Bankes, it was redemption after the disappointment from Beijing, where she was one of the heavy favourites but left without even making the big final.
As such, she could have been forgiven for playing it safe today - but safe is not how she rides.
"It’s gold or nothing," she said afterwards.
"For sure we wanted a medal, also seeing Australia were out, so I could go for it and yeah, I had to deliver as Huw put me in the best position possible.
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Watch: GB joyous after sealing SECOND gold of Winter Olympics - 'What a redemption story!'
Video credit: TNT Sports
"I was in contact with Lea [Casta of Team France], we knew she would pull away at the start, but the drafting was important.
"I found my carving today and the speed in the turns, and managed to generate some speed."
Nightingale was first out, and came second in his race, narrowly finishing behind France. As such, Casta was released from the gate fractions ahead of Bankes - who chased down her quarry for gold.
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"It’s kind of unreal. For sure, there was disappointment after the individual and that was a big goal for me," explained Bankes.
"But I think we showed our strength as a team, and we bounced back as a team and really regrouped as a team to be able to go out there, have fun and put out our best snowboarding.
"And that’s what I said all along. If I ride to my best level, I know it can be fast. Huw did an incredible job as well. He put me in the best possible position and, yeah, I didn’t have a choice but to deliver.
"When I'm in [that] position I can’t mess up."
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Watch: Up close with GB's NEW gold medallists at the finish of their snowboard cross triumph
Video credit: TNT Sports
The duo won World Championship gold in 2023, and Bankes won a World Cup event in January, thus coming here is good form.
But with neither challenging for individual medals, it was unclear just how well they would ride in the team event. In the end, any worries were unfounded, with Nightingale and Bankes very much saving the best until last.
"I think it is the best I have ever seen Huw ride," TNT Sports expert Aimee Fuller said afterwards.
"This moment will go down in the history books of snowsport, snowboarding and Team GB as one of the most iconic. And just the fact it was the pair of them together - it shows reliance, it shows team work
"Huw risked everything, and you could tell he wanted to do this for Charlotte. There were huge amounts of risk, he was absolutely fighting - the power, the confidence and the decision-making progress.
"Do you sit back and ride through in second, risk dropping back to third? But they came out with one intention, the intention to ride for gold."
Nightingale echoed his team-mate that the gold medal did not feel "real" just yet, with both looking forward to celebrating with their families.
They might have quite a few more people to celebrate with though, with Fuller keen to highlight just what effect a second gold following Matt Weston’s skeleton success would have on Team GB.
"The morale is going to be all time. Matt Weston set the bar. Charlotte Bankes - she came in fighting with Huw Nightingale. They were so hungry, they could have sat back, they could have taken the second, but she said no, I want the gold," Fuller added.
"She picked them off one by one, finding the gaps. The aggression, the power, the attitude and drive is unfathomable.
"She is one of the greatest of all time."
Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on discovery+. Available across all subscription plans, starting at £3.99.
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