Veteran Olympic snowboarder Nick Baumgartner, at 44, is gearing up to defend his mixed team snowboard cross title, facing off against rivals who are substantially younger.
MILAN, Metropolitan City of Milan — Nick Baumgartner, a celebrated figure in American Olympic snowboarding, is set to compete in the mixed team snowboard cross event this Sunday, aiming to secure another gold for the U.S. team.
Despite being twice the age of many of his competitors, Baumgartner remains undeterred, emphasizing his determination not to make things easy for the younger athletes at the Livigno Snow Park.
“Competing at the Olympics at 44 means there’s no expectation for me to win, which actually takes the pressure off,” Baumgartner shared with the International Ski and Snowboard Federation. “I give it my all out there. No one’s putting in more effort than I am. I’ve worked hard to keep pace with these younger athletes, and they know it.”
Baumgartner holds the distinction of being the oldest Olympic snowboard medalist, having clinched gold at the age of 40 during the debut of the mixed snowboard cross event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
In recent competition at the Milan Cortina Games, Baumgartner advanced to the snowboard cross semifinals. However, he narrowly missed a spot in the finals, finishing third in a closely contested photo finish behind Austria’s Alessandro Haemmerle, as only the top two from each group moved forward.
Haemmerle, the defending gold medalist in the individual event, went on to win gold. He was followed by Canada’s Eliot Grondin with silver and fellow Austrian Jakob Dusek with bronze.
Baumgartner finished seventh. Afterward, he talked about the race and his future in the sport.
“If you find something you love, it doesn’t matter how much work you have to put in,” he said in an interview with NBC. “You’re happy to do it, and I’ll continue to do it because I love what I do. … I never had so much fun losing in my life. It’s a great time. I get to represent my country and have fun with my friends.”
Baumgartner is among the rare group of Team USA athletes competing in their fifth Olympics. When asked what’s next, he addressed a comment he heard on the broadcast suggested this could be was his last Olympics.
“It’s absolutely not,” he said, setting the record straight.
“Until I’m not having fun or until the body steps in and says you’re done, I’m going to continue to put the work in and I’m going to continue to redefine what people think is possible,” he said.
Baumgartner will team up with five-time Olympian Faye Thelen, 33.
How does mixed team snowboard cross work?
16 two-athlete teams consisting of both one man and one woman will compete in the event.
Men snowboard first, then the women take over once their teammate crosses a line. Women start their runs in a staggered format with whatever time advantage their male teammates give from the first half. The first woman to cross the finish line wins for the team.
In the Milan Cortina games, there are four heats, and the best two teams advance into the semi-finals, then the finals in a bracket-like elimination.
The mixed team snowboard cross quarterfinals begin at 7:45 p.m. ET Sunday, the semifinals will start around 8:15 p.m. ET, and the finals will begin around 8:40 p.m. ET.
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