Team GB snowboard star Charlotte Bankes fights back the tears

World champion and Team GB star Charlotte Bankes fights back the tears as she apologises for her ‘worst result of the season’ after crashing out of the snowboard-cross in Beijing… and remains coy about her Olympics future

• Charlotte Bankes apologised after failing to make the snowboard-cross finals
• World champion and Team GB medal hopeful was knocked out at the quarters
• The 25-year-old was one of the favourite to win gold in the event on Wednesday
• However, Bankes fought back the tears as she reflected on the performance
• Bankes said she could not look to the future as the disappointment was too raw 

Team GB medal Olympic hope Charlotte Bankes has told of her bitter disappointment at being knocked out of the snowboard-cross event without reaching the final.

The 25-year-old had been the favourite to win gold in this highly entertaining event in which four contestants battle to be the first to cross the line after hurtling down a ski-slope pitted with tight turns and jumps.

But the 2021 World Champion crashed out of the Beijing 2022 competition when she was forced into third in the quarter final. Only the first two progress to the next round.

Fighting back tears she said she could not look to the future as the disappointment was too raw.

Team GB star Charlotte Bankes has apologised after failing to make the snowboard-cross finals

She said: ‘This is my worst result of the season and having that at the Olympics is tough. I’m just sorry for everybody that’s watching and all the team that’s around me.’

Born in Hertfordshire, Bankes moved to France with her parents aged four and took up skiing and snowboarding at a young age.

She competed in France at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 in the snowboard cross before switching allegiance to Great Britain shortly after the last Winter Olympic Games.

However the Briton, who lives in French Alps, says there is no conflict of interest as she has always maintained strong links to the UK.

Bankes (left), 25, was knocked out at the quarter-finals in a close finish in Beijing

She told MailOnline: ‘I’m British born and bred but my family moved to France when I four. I learned to ski in France and so that’s how come I came to represent France.

‘But we always spoke English at home and my grandparents and cousins are all back in the UK.’

She added she had no regrets at switching to Team GB from France.

Charlotte said: ‘I’ve never thought back about that and I’m just super happy for the support I’ve had.

‘I wouldn’t be here if i hadn’t made that choice and the support they’ve given me has been amazing.

‘What’s hard is that the team around me is just amazing and it’s disappointment for all of us.

Faye Gulini, Bankes and Belle Brockhoff in action during the fateful quarter-final

Having led most of the race, Bankes could only finish in third, with the fastest two progressing

‘We know it’s boardercross, this is what we work towards but it’s our sport and it can happen.’

Bankes was leading the field in her heat but a small error let another rider [Tess Critchlow from Canada] overtake.

Explaining what happened she said: ‘I was quite happy with my start. Then I made a small mistake, Tess came on the inside and then I just didn’t have the speed on the last section to come through.’ 

Bankes fought back the tears as she reflected on her ‘worst result of the season’

Bankes (right) remained coy when asked whether she would compete in the next Olympics

Bankes hinted she would consider entering the mixed-team event at the next Games

She added: ‘For sure I’m disappointed, frustrated with how it went.

‘It’s a tough day for me, we didn’t come here for this with the team.

‘It’s boardercross, we just need to look further ahead now.’

Bankes said it was too early to think about whether she would compete in the next Olympics, but said she would consider joining team-mate Huw Nightingale in the mixed-team event.

She said: ‘At the moment, I’m not thinking about that [next Olympic Games]. I’m frustrated and disappointed about today.’

‘[But] Huw is out here and I think it will be a good time to go out have have fun and see what we can do.

‘There’s a lot of drafting in this track and Huw’s been riding well, so let’s go and see what happens.’

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