Veysonnaz ready for SBX World Cup finals
Mar 19, 2022·Snowboard Cross
We’re here at the finals of the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup tour 2021/22 in Switzerland’s Veysonnaz. After a long and intense season, it will be time for one last SBX show, which for some of the athletes also means the fight for the overall crystal globe.
Big, fast, and technical all at once, Veysonnaz demands the best out of the riders in every run, from the first to the big final, therefore this season’s grand finale in Switzerland should be grand indeed.
Before we take a closer look into the crystal globe situation, let’s check out the highlights that we got to witness so far this season:
- The first-ever FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup was held in Zhangjiakou, China, as the Olympic test event as the season kick-off.
- Back-to-back races were held as a World Cup premiere in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk resort at the beginning of the New Year and the organizer’s showed indeed how and why they have already successfully held the Winter Universiade 2019 and the FIS Junior Freestyle, Freeski and Snowboard World Championships there. A great course and a great organizer really made the double races memorable.
- The first-ever SBX night race was held in Italy’s famous resort Cortina d’Ampezzo
- the 24. Olympic Winter Games were held in Beijing (CHN) from February 4-20. The new Olympic SBX champions are Lindsey Jacobellis (USA) and Alessandro Haemmerle (AUT), as well as Team USA consisting of Lindsey Jacobellis and Nick Baumgartner, who won the Olympic premiere of the SBX mixed-team event.
- With a total of 8 individual competitions and one mixed-team event, the World Cup calendar 2021/22 is considered to have been a quite successful one.
Charlotte Bankes will take home the SBX crystal globe
And now to the hottest topic at every World Cup finals: the crystal globes!
While on the women’s side, season dominator Charlotte Bankes (GB) has already finalized her first-ever crystal globe win with a total of 569 points, which is 113 points ahead of runner-up Michela Moioli (ITA), who holds 456 points in second rank, it is going to be a fight for rank two and three between the Italian and Olympic silver medallist Chloe Trespeuch (FRA), who has 435 points. Depending on their performances on Sunday, only those two athletes can make it to rank two or three respectively.
Charlotte Bankes did earn the crystal globe win in an incredible manner with four wins, and two more podium spots, one second and one third, this season. Bankes seems to be in a league of her own at the moment, so all we can say is “congratulations” on the overall World Cup win – it is truly deserved!
Crystal globe battle is on for the men
On the men’s side, we have three candidates for the top three ranks sitting really tightly at the ranking with their points. All three are in the mix for either spot and the battle is going to be good between current World Cup leader Martin Noerl (GER) with 431 points and a 45-point margin against the Austrian duo Alessandro Haemmerle with 386 points and just on his tails it’s Jakob Dusek with 364 points.
So, we really can’t tell what the outcome is going to be, therefore you better make sure to watch this crazy final battle and witness who is going to be the lucky one in the end, holding the crystal globe in their hands. Will it be Martin Noerl for the first time in his career, or Alessandro Haemmerle for the fourth consecutive time, or Jakob Dusek also for the first time?
More awards to be handed out
Also, the Nations Cup will be awarded to the nation with the most earned points throughout the season at the final award ceremony. This is also going to be exciting to watch, as currently three nations could be the possible winners: Austria, Italy and France. Depending on the results on Sunday’s race, we will have an answer.
Also, the female and male rookies of the year are going to be awarded at the season finals. There will be a vote among all team captains on the day before finals and the previously determined candidates with the most votes will be awarded “Rookie of the year” for their outstanding performances as newcomers on the World Cup circuit.
As you can see, nothing but pure excitement, adrenaline and some serious battles are ahead of us for Sunday’s final show of the season. You better make sure to tune in and watch it, because it is going to be good!
Veysonnaz title defenders from March 2021: Eva Samkova (CZE – not competing due to injury) and Alessandro Haemmerle (AUT).
Last year’s SBX Crystal Globe winners: Eva Samkova (CZE) and Alessandro Haemmerle (AUT).
As the best 16 women and best 32 women are qualified for the World Cup finals based on their World Cup rankings, we will be going straight into finals on March 20 at 14:30 CET sharp.
WATCH LIVE (subject to change)
Sunday, March 20 at 14:30 CET:
TV: ORF Sport+ (Austria) at 14:30 CET, TV2 Sport 2 (Norway)
Livestream: Peacock (USA), blue Zoom (CH)
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