Great Britain’s snowboard cross head coach Jerome Choupin hopes a new generation of prospective Winter Olympians have been inspired by the gold medal won by Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale in Livigno on Sunday.
The duo shrugged off disappointing individual performances to clinch a thrilling victory in the mixed team event, and with it Team GB’s first ever Olympic gold medal on snow.
The thrills and spills associated with the high-octane discipline – and the way in which Bankes carved her way to glory after starting the final marginally behind – could give the discipline lift-off.
Choupin told the Press Association: “I think we are going to have a lot more kids loving the sport and wanting to go right to the top, because we have proved we can create Olympic champions.
“It is a straight race, four against four, so it is super easy to understand. You just have to make sure you get into the top two to go through. It is all about racing and beating your opponent.”
For Bankes in particular it was a story of redemption and a chance to banish the Olympic demons after successive poor displays in the individual event in both Beijing and Livigno.
But the 30-year-old has no plans to bow out on top and instead is already looking towards the prospect of defending her Olympic title close to her home in the French Alps in four years’ time.
“It’s given me hope to go for that individual medal and maybe taking that weight off my shoulders might make me able to enjoy the journey more,” said Bankes.
“If my body keeps fit and I’m still having fun, I’m not stopping. It’s not been easy and there have been some tough times, so it is a relief and I am trying to soak up the moment and appreciate it.”
