Young talents shone at the FIS Snowboard Cross Junior World Championships in Gudauri

After successfully hosting the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships in 2023 and various World Cup races in different disciplines this winter, Georgia organized yet another grand event to close out the season. The world's best young snowboard cross athletes convened in the Caucasus Mountains at the Gudauri resort for the FIS Snowboard Cross Junior World Championships of 2024.

"There is a strong commitment from the Georgian Ski Federation, President Zurab Kostava, and the M.T.A. - Mountain Trail Agency, with their CEO Irakli Burchuladze, to our fantastic sport," said FIS Race Director and Snowboard Coordinator, Peter Krogoll.

After the fantastic organization of the snowboard cross WC double-header back in February, the cross course in Gudauri needed just a few small modifications for our youngsters to compete.

The event took place from Friday to Sunday, April 5th to 7th. Athletes from 17 different nations competed in both the individual snowboard cross race and the mixed team event, underscoring the talent depth among junior participants.

The Friday racing program consisted of seeding runs for each athlete and racing in brackets, with 1/8 Finals for women and 1/16 Finals in the men’s category.

On Saturday, we crowned our first medalists in the individual race. In the women’s big final, we witnessed the domination of Lea Casta (FRA), clinching her second consecutive JWSC gold medal. The current European Cup overall winner, Noemie Wiedmer (SUI), finished 2nd, while Lisa Francesia Boirai (ITA) took bronze.

In the men’s final heat, all three podium finishers demonstrated remarkable riding skills. Leon Ulbricht (GER) claimed victory, with Julien Tomas (FRA) securing the silver medal, and Aidan Chollet (FRA) rounding out the podium. It's worth noting that all three athletes already compete in the WC tour, where, despite their young age, they have achieved impressive results. At just 19 years old, Leon Ulbricht has already won a WC race.

The championships wrapped up on Sunday with the snowboard cross mixed team race. The gold medal was won by the French duo Lea Casta and Julien Tomas, while their teammates Zoe Colombier and Aidan Chollet secured the silver. The bronze medal was clinched by the Slovak pair Sara Pitonakova and Samuel Sakal.

FIS Race Director Krogoll has been very satisfied with the conclusion of this year's JWSC Gudauri 2024: “The level of the junior athletes is increasing every year and they are our future. The course this year was in great shape, thanks to all the volunteers, workers, and our professional shapers. It allowed for exciting riding where the athletes could showcase their skills. We are particularly pleased that we had accident-free competitions, despite the changing snow conditions nearly every day. From very warm spring conditions to new snowfall in the final days, the LOC handled everything in a very professional way. Thank you, Georgia!”

The complete results from the JWSC in Gudauri are accessible HERE, while a gallery featuring all event photos can be found HERE.