Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale deliver historic first snow gold for Team GB
Charlotte Bankes, teamed with Huw Nightingale, produced a powerful run in the mixed team snowboard cross on Sunday to secure Great Britain’s first Olympic gold medal on snow. The win, achieved in Livigno, ends a 102-year wait for a British snow-gold and marks a major milestone in the nation’s long-term push to become a winter sports contender.
What the victory means for British snow sport
The result is both symbolic and tangible. For decades, British winter success has been dominated by ice events; snow medals were rare and typically bronze. Bankes’ performance — complemented by Nightingale’s composed second-leg ride — changes that narrative. The gold arrives after sustained investment and a clearer strategic vision set by national snowsport planners in recent years, who aimed to elevate Britain into the upper ranks of snow-sports nations.
Beyond the medal itself, the victory provides a spike in visibility for snowboarding and skiing in the UK. Coaches and leaders within the sport are hopeful the moment will inspire increased participation at grassroots level, from dry slopes to indoor snow domes, creating a deeper talent pool for future Games.
How the mixed team event unfolded
The mixed team snowboard cross pits pairs against one another in a relay-style format where the first rider’s finish triggers the second rider’s start. Bankes took a strong opening that put pressure on rival teams, and Nightingale held off late challenges to cross the line first. Celebrations were immediate — teammates and support staff acknowledged the rarity of the achievement, knowing they had helped rewrite Britain’s winter-sport history.
Bankes’ calibre on snow has been clear for some time. Alongside peers such as Mia Brookes and Zoe Atkin, she represents a generation that has already claimed world titles and World Cup victories. That sustained success at elite events made the Olympic breakthrough feel inevitable to insiders, even if it felt improbable to the casual observer until the final beep of the race clock.
Voices from the team and what comes next
GB Snowsport’s chief executive, Vicky Gosling, framed the achievement as proof that the long-term strategy can deliver. She highlighted the importance of turning world-level performances into Olympic medals and emphasised the role of the win in motivating young people to take up snow sports. "We have amazing Brits with grit and amazing talent; it's all about unlocking that, " she said, underlining that visibility at the Games can help drive participation.
Nightingale, fresh from his role in the mixed team victory, urged youngsters to try winter sport, saying the moment shows Britain is becoming a real snow-sports nation. For Bankes, the gold will further cement her status as one of Britain’s most successful winter athletes on snow — a progression from past British podiums that were largely bronzes and singles to now owning the top step.
The success also arrives amid other strong British results on the ice tracks, reinforcing that this edition of the Games is proving fertile ground for Britain’s winter-sport programme. For snowsport specifically, attention now turns to consolidating the momentum: protecting funding, expanding access to facilities, and ensuring pathways exist for promising youngsters to reach elite levels without prohibitive cost barriers.
History has been made in Livigno, but the bigger test will be turning this singular, jubilant moment into a sustained era of excellence. For now, Bankes and Nightingale’s gold provides a clear, vivid answer to skeptics — Britain can win on snow.
