Snowboard cross World Cup: Great Britain's Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes win gold

GB's Muir jumps to first big air World Cup podium

Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes clinched Britain's first team snowboard cross World Cup medal with gold in Les Deux Alpes in France.

The pair, who won world gold in March, were second in their quarter-final before winning the semi-final and final.

France finished second with the United States coming in third place.

Earlier on Saturday, Kirsty Muir came second, sealing her first big air World Cup podium finish in Beijing, China.

The 19-year-old Scot came fourth in her first World Cup appearance of the season last weekend in Austria after bad weather ended the competition early.

Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland won, with Italy's Flora Tabanelli third.

Muir has twice finished on the podium in World Cup slopestyle competitions.

She came second at Aspen in 2021 and Mammoth earlier this year, and her latest second place was Muir's 10th consecutive top-10 finish since the Silvaplana World Cup in 2021.

EPA

Kirsty Muir (left) secured her maiden big air World Cup podium in Beijing on Saturday

Also on Saturday, GB's Mia Brookes came fourth in the women's snowboard final.

The 16-year-old, who became the youngest world champion in snowboarding history in February, qualified in first position and scored a total of 166.25 from two jumps.

Austria's Anna Gasser was first, Tess Coady of Australia finished second and Japan's Miyabi Onitsuka was third.

Muir was first in the standings after two jumps in China, with the best two scores out of three counting.

Her third attempt was not as good and she ended on a combined total of 167.25, with winner Gremaud on 175.50.

"I'm super happy with how today went, the weather was perfect and the jump felt really good," said Muir.

"I'm proud of how I skied, and really excited to have my first podium of the season but also my first big air World Cup podium.

"My last run didn't go to plan, I wanted to try a different grab in my 14 but I'm excited to try it again at the next competition. Very grateful overall."

The next event moves to Colorado's Copper Mountain in the United States from 13 to 16 December.

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