Moioli makes amends as Italy race to home win in SBX mixed team

From the moment Michela Moioli (ITA) dropped her board in the snow atop the iconic ‘Gran Becca’ slope on Sunday, the SBX FIS World Cup Mixed Team event in Cervinia was hers to win and Italy’s to lose.

The home favourite went over one second quicker than anyone else in qualifying on the women’s side and with partner Omar Visintin (ITA) also laying to rest some ghosts of his own, Italy ended the day with a toast to two fine riders who have endured some tough times of late.

“It is an unbelievable feeling and after what I’ve been through, this really means a lot,” Moioli said after edging out France and Switzerland for her first FIS World Cup win in almost two years.

“It’s something even better to win with a friend and a mate. Omar gave me a lot of advantage today (so) we are sharing the victory and the emotions.”

Setbacks set aside

In one of the sport’s greatest comeback stories, an 18-year-old Moioli tore a cruciate ligament in her knee during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games final but rebounded to win gold at PyeongChang 2018. The three-time Crystal Globe winner then suffered another setback last season and raced only once, placing eighth in Cortina.

For Visintin, Sunday’s heroics brings him a first FIS World Cup win since March 2021 and - remarkably for the Beijing 2022 Olympic silver medallists - his first ever in the Mixed Team.

It needed something special to break such a barren run and the 34-year-old delivered the goods in the men’s heat of the big final, going from fourth to first in one audacious move through the middle berm.

Visintin then held his line over the bottom section to give Moioli a slender 0.09-second advantage over Switzerland at the top of the decisive women’s heat.

“I tried everything I could to let Michi start first, and I knew that if she could start first she would have a big advantage,” said Visintin, who finished a distant 18th in the men’s individual on Saturday.

“But there are so many good female and male riders out there that it is not obvious this would happen. She did a pretty good job; she left everyone behind and we did it.”

It took a photo to separate the Italians from the French pair of Chloe Trespeuch (FRA) and Loan Bozzolo (FRA) in second, with Sina Siegenthaler (SUI) and Kalle Koblet (SUI) a further 0.13 seconds back.

The third place caps a fine weekend for Siegenthaler, who had waited five years for a first FIS World Cup podium and now has her second in as many days following yesterday’s win in the individual.

For Moioli, her star turn in front of a boisterous home crowd on Sunday made up for the disappointment of her run in the women’s final, when she was trading first place with Belle Brockhoff (AUS) before fading badly through the middle section, eventually finishing fifth.

“We raced so well today,” the 28-year-old said. “I tried to stay in front like I didn’t yesterday, so this is a good revenge and I’m super happy to do this with Omar.”

After finishing sixth in the season opener at Les Deux Alpes a fortnight ago, Moioli and Visintin finish the Mixed Team mini-season in second place overall, only five points behind winners Great Britain.

Huw Nightingale (GBR) and Charlotte Bankes (GBR) had triumphed in France but were grateful for fifth in Cervinia after drifting to last place in their semi. Even that result was in doubt until Bankes turned on the gas and powered past Lindsey Jacobellis (USA) over the bottom rollers in the small final.

The Swiss placed third in the overall standings, 80 points adrift of the top two.

The FIS World Cup Snowboard Cross season will resume in St.Moritz (SUI) on Jan 25-26 January 2024.

Race Results SBX Mixed Team Cervinia

1.       Omar Visintin and Michela Moioli (ITA)
2.       Loan Bozzolo and Chloe Trespeuch (FRA)
3.       Kalle Koblet and Sina Siegenthaler (SUI)
4.       Adam Lambert and Belle Brockhoff (AUS)
5.       Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes (GBR)

Overall Standings

1.        Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes (GBR)
2.       Omar Visintin and Michela Moioli (ITA)
3.       Kalle Koblet and Sina Siegenthaler (SUI)

QUICK LINKS

- Full results
- Photos from the action in Cervinia
- Videos: watch the winning run and more 
- Full 2023/24 FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup standings
- Full 2023734 FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup Calendar