Bankes is a little happier to fly under the radar, her recent seasons having been interrupted by surgery on a broken collarbone and damaged ACL, an occupational hazard of her sport.
Four years ago she was Great Britain’s Winter Olympic medal banker, before being quickly reminded that in the mad world of snowboard cross, where thrills and spills are measured equally, there is no such thing.
Charlotte Bankes had enjoyed an impressive World Cup season and qualified for the knockouts in the second-fastest time. But she was to crash out in the quarter-finals, blinking back the tears as she admitted she had saved her worst race of the season for its biggest moment.
Now, Bankes is back — and this time a little happier to fly under the radar, her recent seasons having been interrupted by surgery on a broken collarbone and damaged ACL, an occupational hazard of her sport.
In a slew of subjectively judged sports at these Olympics, there is something special about snowboard cross — a sort of Mario Kart on snow — which sees competitors career at 70mph down a slope pitted with steep drops and jumps, with the only metric that matters being who is first across the line.
With 25 career World Cup wins, including one earlier this year in China, there’s a strong case to be made that Bankes is Britain’s most consistent winter sports performer at the highest level. Only American Lindsey Jacobellis, a double Olympic champion, has won more snowboard World Cup titles than the 30-year-old, whose trademark overtakes from improbable positions make viewing from behind the sofa advisable.
“It’s not been easy with the injuries and surgeries and, while there were some tough times, I never really thought I wouldn’t be here,” said Bankes, a silver medallist at last year’s World Championships in Switzerland.
“I had my surgery last summer because I wanted to have time before the Olympics. It went smoothly and then we realised it hadn’t healed, so I had to have another operation and it was back to square one.
“It was tough as this process was very slow and we weren’t really sure of a timeline. I’d been looking forward to being back on snow to work on some areas and instead ended up back doing all my training indoors, having to adapt a lot of it due to the restrictions we had.
“I was only back on the snow at the start of November. You have to stay focused on yourself, but also get back out there racing so you can perform.
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“It meant my focus this year was never really on World Cup races — they just came a bit too soon. We just approached it as a good stepping stone and kept focused on the process. To be in that racing environment is the best training we can get. When I won that World Cup in China in January, I knew I was fast and ready.”
She has two shots at a medal here, partnering Huw Nightingale in the team event, where they dramatically won the world title in 2023, Bankes surging through the pack for a dramatic victory.
“I thrive when I’m just off the lead, hunting the group down. That’s when I’m at my sharpest — spotting openings, slipping through gaps, and making decisive moves,” she added.
“But no matter where I find myself during the Olympic race, I’ll fight all the way to the line and never back off until it’s over.”
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