FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup: Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale claim mixed team World Cup gold in Italy

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Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale came from behind to claim mixed team gold at the Snowboard Cross World Cup in Cervinia on Sunday. Nightingale finished third in his race, before Bankes blew the rest of the competition away on her return from injury. "It’s really good to see Charlotte on top form again," Nightingale said. Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

GB duo Bankes and Nightingale come from behind to win mixed team World Cup gold

Video credit: TNT Sports

Great Britain's Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale enjoyed a sparkling day on the slopes at the Snowboard Cross World Cup in Cervinia, as the duo sealed mixed team gold.

Nightingale finished third in the men's run to give the British pair the chance to claim gold, and the 24-year-old's effort was followed up by a dazzling run from Bankes.

Racing for the first time since returning from injury, Bankes, 30, beat the competition to take the victory in the women's race and win gold for Great Britain.

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"To see all the hard work from this summer's training paying off from Huw, as well as this being Charlotte's first race back since injury, this was quite the victory," Great Britain's snowsport head coach Pat Sharples said after the race.

Bankes, who won the Crystal Globe in 2021/22 and 2022/23, suffered a broken collarbone earlier this year to rule her out of the remainder of last season, as well as pre-season.

She needed two surgeries to fix the injury, which ended her hopes of a third individual Snowboard Cross World Cup title in four years, before returning to the slopes.

"We came here and we didn’t have any expectations," Bankes said.

"Yesterday didn’t quite go to plan [eliminated at the quarter-final stage in the women's event], but I knew I was fast and that was kind of a good step first.

"Then today, Huw’s been riding super well in training; it didn’t pay off for qualifiers, but to see him riding like that today, I didn’t have a choice but to pull it off, because he just smashed it."

Nightingale and Bankes' efforts earned the pair a fourth major podium, which includes a gold medal at the 2023 World Championships.

"Me and Charlotte take a team event day with a lot of fun, and I think that’s why we do so well in them because we just have a good time. We take each race how it comes," Nightingale added.

"It’s been good to race with all the guys, the team around us has helped us a lot, and it’s really good to see Charlotte on top form again."

Italy finished second behind Great Britain to take the silver medal, while France completed the podium places to settle for the bronze.

Nightingale and Bankes' achievement concluded a successful weekend across winter sports for Great Britain, which bodes will in the run up to the Winter Olympic Games early next year - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Zoe Atkin, 22, won the silver medal in her opening competition of the campaign at the Secret Garden Freeski Halfpipe World Cup in China.

China's Eileen Gu snatched victory by a mere 1.50 points to win the gold medal on 91.75 points, while Indra Brown finished third, 8.25 points short of Atkin, who dominated alongside Gu in both the qualifiers and finals.

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Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics live on TNT Sports and discovery+

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