Why a crash in the final 'takes a bit of sting out' of Aussie snowboarder's Olympics

Why Australian Adam Lambert's medal-losing crash in the final made him feel better about his Winter OlympicsBy Simon Smale at the Livigno Snow ParkTopic:Winter Olympic Games1m ago1 minutes agoSun 15 Feb 2026 at 9:18pmAdam Lambert was on the final corner when he fell. (Reuters: Marko Djurica)abc.net.au/news/mixed-team-snowboard-cross-crash/106346236Link copiedShareShare articleIt seemed that only a disaster would cost Australia a second medal at the Winter Olympics in Livigno on Monday.Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened — although that's not how Adam Lambert saw it.Lambert and Josie Baff had cruised through the mixed team snowboard cross event, with Olympic champion Baff in particular looking in sublime form.The pair produced two hugely impressive displays to make their way to the final.Get the latest:Winter Olympics live updates: Get the all the action as it happens on day nine.Daily schedule: Who to watch for and when Stay across the highs and lows of the Games with the ABC Sport Daily podcast and ABC Sport.In mixed snowboard cross, the men race first, with the women following, handicapped by the amount of time their partner finished behind the leader.With Baff arguable the form rider of the Games, all Lambert needed to do was get down to the bottom in contention with the leaders.Adam Lambert (left) was in contention throughout the race, right up until the last corner. (Getty Images: picture alliance/Oliver Weiken)And, right up until the final corner, that's exactly what appeared to be happening, with Lambert hot on the heels of Italian Lorenzo Sommariva.But then came that disaster."So I came around turn five and I had speed on Lorenzo," Lambert said."I would have preferred to have been on his left."But unfortunately I kind of just landed on his right, landed on his tail a little bit and then I had to go inside in turn six, and Lorenzo also was as far inside as he could be."My nose mounted his tail and his tail slipped out and as his tail slipped out, I lost all contact with my toe-side edge."So that's what set me down."Adam Lambert fell late on his run in the two-person relay.With Lambert down, the maximum time deficit was applied to Baff up at the side of the run, 4.16 seconds, a time calculated according to the length of the course.A penny for the thoughts of Baff, marooned up at the top of the course while her rivals sped away."I was thinking, wow, 4 seconds is a really long time," Baff said.She's not wrong.Baff had made up a deficit of half a second in the semifinal comfortably, which the 23-year-old said gave her confidence she could pull off a miracle."I knew that I was strong, my starts were way better today — I think I was less nervous and I was kind of going back to my normal starts."So I was like, 'you know what, anything's possible and I'm going to trust that these three might have some contact lower down and I want to be in that race if anything does happen''.Josie Baff had been boarding miraculously this week, but she still couldn't pull off a miracle. (Getty Images: Andy Cheung)"I guess that was the mindset here, and also I don't ever give up, not until I cross that line."So I just kind of went in with that [attitude] and I could see, I was like, wow, I'm getting closer. I actually am getting closer. I thought this could still work."But unfortunately, 4 seconds is a long time."Read more about the Winter Olympics:The brilliant bronze of Australia's 'team captain' Matt GrahamHow a 'mortified' Anthony went from a fall to a second gold medalJosie Baff and the power of self-beliefThe Olympic legend who helped his rivals win goldLambert acknowledged that Baff was capable of extraordinary things, but even that was beyond her."I know Josie could have pulled back half a second — she probably could have pulled back a second and a half she's been riding so well — but 4 seconds is just slightly too much."It left the Australians in the worst possible place to finish at an Olympic Games — fourth in a four-team final.As Britain celebrated gold, Adam Lambert and Josie Baff had to walk away. (Getty Images: Andy Cheung)As the three teams they had been racing with shoulder-to-shoulder just moments before went up and claimed their medals and accepted the plaudits from the massive crowd, Lambert and Baff trudged through the mix zone.These Games have been tough on the snowboard cross riders, especially Lambert.Cameron Bolton is his roommate and best friend. Seeing him be airlifted away from Livigno with a broken neck clearly affected the 28-year-old, at least in part resulting in his mixed form and early exit in the men's competition.The fact he came within touching distance of an Olympic medal must sting, but despite the obvious disappointment, Lambert was philosophical."It's a tough place to be, fourth at the Olympics," Lambert said."But we're also at the Olympics and we're also in the fi