France take Snowboard Cross Mixed Team title as Switzerland seize home bronze
Mar 29, 2025·Snowboard Cross)
Share:
On a windy, cloudy day in St. Moritz, France’s Loan Bozzolo and Julia Pereira de Sousa finished off a strong Engadin 2025 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships with an inaugural Mixed Team title for their nation.
In three previous editions of the event, France had won two bronze medals, and with two teams contesting the big final, they were guaranteed to at least match that. But a strong showing from Bozzolo and Pereira de Sousa – who won individual silver and bronze medals respectively on Friday – gave France the win, despite a fall from Bozzolo in the opening round.
Australia’s Cameron Bolton and Mia Clift took silver after a brilliant leg from Clift, while Valerio Jud and Sina Siegenthaler (SUI) made up for a disappointing showing in the individual events with bronze, a first Mixed Team medal for the host nation.
France dominate in difficult conditions
After a good day in the individual events, defending champions Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes (GBR) found the going tougher in the Mixed Team quarterfinals. Nightingale had a solid run and Bankes got herself in front of her competitors in the women’s leg – only for Siegenthaler and Josie Baff (AUS 1) to storm through from the back before the last turn and take the two qualifying spots, ending British hopes of back-to-back titles.
In the first quarterfinal, Bozzolo (FRA 1) fell on the men’s leg, but with big gaps between leaders Germany and second-placed USA 2 there was an opening for Pereira de Sousa to catch Brianna Schnorrbusch (USA 2). She duly overtook both Schnorrbusch and Jana Fischer (GER) to win and book a place in the semifinals.
France 2, USA 1, Australia 2 and Italy all also progressed to the semifinals, despite a crash between Australia’s Bolton and Evan Bichon (CAN 2) in the third heat. Newly crowned women’s world champion Michela Moioli (ITA) showed her form by coming from the back to take the win in the fourth heat.
But the semifinals were packed with action. Bozzolo led out the men’s leg of the first semifinal, but Martin Noerl (GER) took control of the race and gave Fischer an opportunity to claim a place in the big final. However, Pereira de Sousa had other ideas, chasing down both Fischer and Baff to take the lead before Siegenthaler shot through before the final bend.
Nick Baumgartner (USA 1) crossed the line narrowly in front of the rest of the pack in the men’s leg of the second semifinal after some excellent overtaking.
The women’s leg proved dramatic; Clift took the lead early on with Lea Casta (FRA 2) on her heels. Then Moioli, trying to overtake Acy Craig (USA 1), found herself forced off the course; she protested immediately and as she later crossed the finish line.
In the closing stages Clift and Casta came together, with the Australian crashing and Craig coming through into second. But the run was reviewed and USA 1 were relegated, sending Australia 2 through to the medal round alongside France 2.
The men’s leg of the big final was close. Aidan Chollet (FRA 2) crossed the line just in front of Bozzolo with Bolton about half a second back and Jud another 0.5 seconds behind.
Casta had a huge start in the women’s leg, but was soon caught by Pereira de Sousa and then Clift. Behind them, Siegenthaler was patient, but found more speed off the final bends to come through Casta. Clift could not quite catch Pereira de Sousa, but did stay ahead of Siegenthaler for silver.
He praised his teammate, adding: “Julia was solid from start to finish, she hasn’t shifted. She did the same run as she did in qualification because she was all alone and nobody could bother her. I think you can say she hit the target today, because nobody could make her move. She’s a great person and I think she’s becoming an even greater person.”
“I was a bit scared at the start, especially because of the penalty [after Bozzolo’s fall] and I didn’t know how it was going to go with the wind and everything. In the end it all came together, I was able to ride my way, focus on speed and catching and overtaking in each race.
“Loan did well in the final, he put me in a comfortable position. I was still a bit stressed because I was worried about being caught from behind, but in the end I think I rode really well,” Pereira de Sousa said.
The win for France means they have a full set of medals from the 2025 World Championships – Mixed Team gold, men’s silver and women’s bronze.
Moioli produced another excellent leg in the small final to take fifth overall, ahead of Australia 1 (Adam Lambert and Baff) in sixth and Germany in seventh.
Mixed Team highlights
With Snowboard Cross competition in Engadin now complete, the season concludes next weekend (4-6 April) with the final two World Cup races in Mont Sainte-Anne, Canada, where the season’s Crystal Globe winners will be crowned. Men’s world champion Eliot Grondin (CAN) is in pole position in the men’s standings, while Bankes leads the women’s rankings narrowly ahead of Casta.
)
)
