Medals update: Austria's Alessandro Haemmerle nabs gold in men’s snowboard cross after wild-style big final

The men’s snowboard cross big final here at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 delivered a new champion and the topsy-turvy unpredictability the discipline has become known – and beloved – for since making its Olympic debut in Torino in 2006.

Alessandro Haemmerle topped the final field of four at the Genting Snow Park, scooping the gold that was won in PyeongChang four years ago by the now-retired Frenchman Pierre Vaultier.

Haemmerle becomes the first Austrian man to win a snowboard Olympic gold while Canada's silver-winner Eliot Grondin, at 20-years-old, is now the youngest-ever Olympic medallist in snowboard cross. Omar Visintin, with bronze, reached his first Winter Olympic podium (as did the entire field).

Earlier in the competition, several favourites crashed out of contention as USA’s three-time Olympian Mick Dierdorff, Martin Noerl of Germany, Australia’s Jarryd Hughes, the silver-medal winner from PyeongChang 2018, and the current world champion Lucas Eguibar of Spain all failed to reach the big final.

But Haemmerle was the model of speed and consistency in a notably unpredictable sport, cruising through the quarter and semi-finals to dominate the final.

Men’s snowboard cross results

More to follow…