Heartbroken Aussie snowboarder Jarryd Hughes cops double blow in Beijing 2022 mixed team selection snub

Team officials have left reigning world champion Jarryd Hughes out of Australia’s mixed snowboard cross team after below par form in the men’s event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, opting instead for Cameron Bolton to partner Belle Brockhoff.

In a further blow to 2018 Olympic silver medallist Hughes, who was shattered after his performance in the individual race on Thursday, he has been told that if Australia is able to enter a second team Adam Lambert will be preferred to partner Josie Baff.

Watch Jarryd Hughes’ heartbreaking response to his exit in the video above

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Australia will get confirmation of a second team on Friday afternoon local time. As first reserves, they are set to step in if the Czech Republic withdraw as expected.

Hughes and Brockhoff, who finished fourth in the women’s event on Wednesday, won the mixed team world title in Sweden last year with Australia eyeing the first Olympic medal in the new addition to the schedule.

Heading into the Games, they appeared the top combination among the six-person boardercross squad.

And while three-time Olympian Brockhoff is still the No.1 choice over teenager Baff, the men’s entry for Australia’s top combination grew more murky after completion of their racing on Thursday.

Hughes, who won a silver medal in the men’s event four years ago in PyeongChang, was badly off the pace, qualifying through the seeding round in 28th spot.

Tap here to watch the 7plus replay of the men’s snowboard cross event

He was then eliminated in the first final, later admitting he preferred racing on a bigger Olympic course, in terms of jumps.

“You can’t make any mistakes and I made a big mistake when I