Australia's Adam Lambert finishes second in Georgia World Cup snowboard cross

Australian athlete Adam Lambert delivered an outstanding performance at the Snowboard Cross World Cup in Georgia, securing second place in the men's final. This marks his first World Cup podium finish of the season and demonstrates his continued progress.

The 27-year-old from Jindabyne, who represented Australia at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, qualified for the finals after finishing 15th in the qualifying round. In the finals held at the Gudauri resort, Lambert showcased exceptional skill, successfully navigating through the 1/32 finals, quarter-finals, and semi-finals with impressive runs.

In the ultimate final, Lambert skillfully avoided a collision and crossed the finish line in second place, just behind the winner, Austrian athlete Jakob Dusek. Lambert commented after the race: "The men's finals are always highly competitive. I've been in a few now and hopefully there are more to come, but it's always exciting to be racing all day and not get knocked out in the early rounds, so I'm super happy." This silver medal also propelled Lambert to ninth place in the men's World Cup standings, highlighting his consistent performance.

In the women's competition, French athletes dominated the top two spots, with Julia Pereira de Sousa-Mabileau and Lea Casta securing first and second place, respectively. Italian Michela Moioli claimed third place. Australian three-time Olympian Belle Brockhoff reached the small final but unfortunately suffered a collision, ultimately finishing eighth. Currently, Brockhoff is undergoing further examination at a hospital in Tbilisi to assess the extent of her injuries.

World number three Josie Baff also experienced a collision in the first round of the finals, eventually finishing ninth, with Mia Clift closely following in tenth place. After five races, Baff (339 points) remains in third place in the World Cup standings, maintaining a strong position in the overall rankings.