Snowboard Cross World Cup Victory
British snowboarder Charlotte Bankes snagged her 27th World Cup win in snowboard cross at Erzurum, Turkey [https://planetski.eu/2026/03/09/gbs-charlotte-bankes-wins-world-cup-event/]. It was a photo finish, with Bankes just ahead of France's Lea Casta; Switzerland's Noemie Wiedmer took third [https://planetski.eu/2026/03/09/gbs-charlotte-bankes-wins-world-cup-event/]. Bankes, an Olympic gold medalist, expressed satisfaction with her performance [https://planetski.eu/2026/03/09/gbs-charlotte-bankes-wins-world-cup-event/].
Bankes is currently second in the World Cup standings with 313 points, just behind France's Lea Casta, who has 324. The next World Cup event is scheduled for March 15th in Austria, followed by the finals in Canada on March 28-29. The Erzurum World Cup took place at the Palandoken Ski Center, which has become a hub for winter sports in Turkey. The event drew approximately 300 athletes and officials from 15 countries. Bankes, born in England, spent her childhood in the French Alps and initially competed for France, even participating in the 2014 and 2018 Olympics. She switched to representing Great Britain in 2019. In February, Bankes and teammate Huw Nightingale secured a gold medal in the mixed team snowboard cross at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. This was Great Britain's first-ever Winter Olympic title on snow.
