Mixed-Team Snowboardcross Debuts at World Championships
The new Olympic discipline of mixed-team snowboardcross will make its debut Sunday at the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota, at Solitude Mountain Resort.
The U.S. Snowboardcross Team will be guaranteed a minimum of two teams in Sunday's event, with the possibility of a third. U.S. Team 1 will be represented by the newly crowned 2019 World Champion Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and five-time World Champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.). Jacobellis has had previous success in team snowboardcross competitions, earning a bronze medal with U.S. Snowboardcross teammate Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, Utah) at the 2017 FIS World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain.
Following Dierdorff’s victory on Saturday, he shared his thoughts on the mixed-team snowboardcross competition. “I think it will be me and Lindsey out there,” he said. “I’m going to try to do the same thing I did out there on Friday, this time with Lindsey, and aim to go grab another World Championship medal!”
U.S. Team 2 will be represented by Stacy Gaskill (Golden, Colo.) and Jake Vedder (Pickney, Mich.), who won the small final in Friday’s World Championship snowboardcross competition finishing fifth overall. In addition, if the U.S. is granted a third team, eight-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Sandpoint, Idaho) and Olympian Meghan Tierney (Edwards, Colo.) will compete as U.S. Team 3.
In this event, mixed gender teams of two athletes, one female and one male, compete head-to-head in heats of four. On completion of the course by the first athlete, the start gate opens automatically and the second athlete starts (relay principle). The top two teams from each heat advance to the next round. The first athlete of the second teammates to reach the finish line claims the win for the team. Athletes are eliminated throughout quarterfinals and semifinals, as well as a small final (Fifth through eighth place ) and big final (first through fourth place).
The U.S. claimed three top-five finishes in Friday’s individual snowboardcross race and will be carrying momentum into Sunday’s competition. It’s clear that the course at Solitude Mountain is running well for the team and we can expect the U.S. to put their best foot forward to potentially earn another World Championships medal. Tune in on NBC To catch all the action.
HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast
SNOWBOARDING
Sunday, Feb. 3
1:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s team snowboardcross - Solitude, Utah - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s team snowboardcross - Solitude, Utah - NBCSN*
