Josie Baff burnishes Australia’s golden aura with snowboard cross triumph
Josie Baff roared down the Livigno course and into Olympic history, surging from an under-the-radar seeding to take gold in the women’s snowboard cross and deliver a second Australian gold at these Winter Games. Inflatable kangaroos bobbed in the crowd as Baff edged the field by 0. 04 seconds in a final that reshaped expectations on the Italian slopes.
Baff’s decisive run and the final moments
Baff, 23, navigated the winding 1. 1km track with poise, moving from a modest 17th in the morning seedings to a dominant performance when it mattered. Midway through the four-rider final she made a bold pass, carving a gap that proved uncloseable. She crossed the line just 0. 04 seconds ahead of Eva Adamczyková, who added a silver to an already distinguished Olympic résumé, while Italy’s Michela Moioli took bronze to an ecstatic home crowd.
After the race Baff reflected on the surreal moment with a mixture of disbelief and quiet conviction. “To have my name called out and the national anthem played is truly crazy, ” she said. “I would like to say that I can’t believe it but I kind of can. I feel like I deserve it. ” That mix of humility and belief was visible in every heat she negotiated; she said each successive round chipped away at her nerves and bolstered her trust in her skills. “Each round that I make it through, I get less and less nervous, ” she added. “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. ”
From Jindabyne North to the top of the podium
Baff’s path to gold has been a steady climb. Raised around a small Australian town known for its snow country, she first took to the snow at age two and switched from skiing to snowboarding in her youth. She won gold at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games and represented her country at the Beijing Olympics, finishing outside the medals in 2022. Ahead of this victory she had gone more than two years without an individual World Cup win, yet she arrived in Italy ready to seize the moment.
Family and friends played a visible role in the triumph. A sea of pink hats in the crowd—an homage to the pink helmet Baff has worn since childhood—punctuated the stands, and her parents were visibly emotional as the gold-medal ceremony unfolded. Her father’s concise appraisal captured the mood: “She took it to ’em, mate. ” The raw joy was unmistakable as Baff jumped on the podium beneath sunny skies, the national anthem and thousands of compatriots celebrating what she described as “absolutely incredible. ”
What the win means for Australia and the sport
Baff’s victory followed an Australian gold in the men’s moguls just 24 hours earlier, marking the first time since 2010 that the nation has claimed two gold medals at a single Winter Games. The back-to-back successes have galvanized the team and their supporters, reinforcing a growing belief that Australian winter athletes can challenge the traditional powerhouses on the world stage.
The snowboard cross final also delivered a reminder of the sport’s volatility. High-profile exits in early rounds underscored how tight margins and tactical boldness decide outcomes. Former world champions and top-ranked competitors found themselves knocked out by the day’s momentum and race dynamics, while Baff’s steady composure and willingness to attack when necessary proved decisive.
For Baff, the gold is both vindication and a new starting point. “I haven’t won in a very long time, and to win here at this event and have one of the world’s most sought-after gold medals around my neck is absolutely incredible, ” she said. With that, she has rewritten her own narrative and added a standout chapter to Australia’s Winter Games story.
