Charlotte Bankes, one of Team GB’s brightest hopes for an Olympic medal, was left disappointed when she was just beaten into third place on the line in the quarter-finals of the women’s Snowboard Cross when only the first two finishers go through.
Charlotte Bankes
The 26-year-old, who is already a Snowboard Cross World Champion, said: “I was quite happy with my start, then at bank five, I made a small mistake. Tess [Critchlow] came on the inside and then I just didn’t have the speed on the last section to come through. “I thought it was going to be OK but everyone came through, so it was frustrating.”
This was Charlotte’s third Olympics, but her first competing under the British flag as she had previously been a member of the French team. Does she have any regrets? “Not at all. I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t made that choice and the support they (Team GB) has given me has been amazing.”
“We did everything we could to come here and be on our A game. The training sessions we’ve had since the start have been great and I’ve been in the top three of all the trainings this week.
“I knew it was going to be tight racing, I knew it. I gave it my all, I think. It’s kind of frustrating to have the worst race of my season here at the Olympics.”
Charlie Guest pictured in action during a previous British Alpine Ski Championships. PHOTO: Vanessa Fry
Team GB’s Charlie Guest finished 21st in the women’s slalom, having been 15th after the first run. Alexandra Tilley, who came 22nd in the giant slalom on Monday, recorded a DNF in her first run.
Charlie said: “I really tried and took a lot of risks but obviously it didn’t pay off for me today. But I’m so excited with how this whole season has gone and I’m really excited that my skiing is good enough to be in that top 15 after the first run.”
“I don’t have any regrets at all, I came straight out of that start gate and I was pushing from gate one. I’m really happy with my attitude. I was a bit nervous on run one actually but I was totally fine once into it.
“I really did give it everything I had and took the risks that I knew I had to.”