Hughes wins maiden gold

NSWIS snowboarder Jarryd Hughes has continued his amazing start to the snowboard cross season by winning his maiden gold medal at the most recent event in Canada.

Following a career-best finish of eighth two weeks, Hughes again showed strong form to qualify for the final against quality opposition, including Olympic medal prospect Konstantin Schad.

However while many expected Schad to take honours in Lake Louise, Hughes powered to the lead at the halfway mark of the final before pushing ahead to cross the line first, winning comfortably over Schad to claim the first world cup gold of his career.

The win takes Hughes to the top of the world rankings, with the 2014 Winter Olympic Games just over one month away.

Reigning snowboard cross world champion and fellow NSWIS athlete Alex Pullin finished 18th overall, while in the women’s event NSWIS athletes Belle Brockhoff and Torah Bright finished 12th and 23rd, respectively.

Elsewhere, NSWIS half-pipe snowboarders Kent Callister and Nathan Johnstone finished 37th and 38th, respectively, at a world cup event at Copper Mountain, USA.