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#CHASINGWINTER: JOSIE BAFF'S PURSUIT OF HER DEBUT OLYMPIC GAMES AFTER YOUTH
OLYMPIC GOLD

AOC27 Oct 2021


After finishing an impressive 15th at her debut World Cup earlier this year,
Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) gold medallist Josie Baff's sight is set on
Beijing 2022 where she is hoping to represent Australia on the biggest stage.

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Baff started skiing when she was just two years old and picked up her first
snowboard at five. For years the 18-year-old juggled both disciplines, training
in ski racing for the majority of her time and pulling out her snowboard on days
off.

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> A post shared by J O S I E 🦖 (@josiebaff)



 

While Baff excelled at both sports, winning multiple interschools titles in both
skiing and snowboarding, she ultimately had to choose to focus on one. After
receiving a NSW Institute of Sport scholarship in 2018 for snowboard cross, Baff
decided to focus solely on snowboarding and hasn't looked back since.

"Skiing was my thing until about three years ago, when I made the switch to
snowboarding. I loved ski racing but it is really competitive, and I was winning
a fair few of the snowboard events I was competing in. So, after getting onto
NSWIS I decided to swap disciplines."

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> A post shared by J O S I E 🦖 (@josiebaff)



 

Just two years later, the Jindabyne local qualified for the 2020 Winter Youth
Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland. At the event, Baff made history when she
claimed Australia's first ever Winter YOG gold medal, winning the women's
snowboard cross event.

"The Youth Olympic Games were incredible," Baff said.




"The weather was perfect, we met so many other athletes from other countries. It
was just the best experience of my life."

After winning four of her five heats in the round robin format, Baff went on to
win her semi-final race before winning gold in the big final. Despite her
incredible results, the humble athlete said she was not expecting to finish on
the podium, let alone win, leading into the event.

"I have this thing where I have no idea how good I am in relation to other
people. I always seem to expect less for myself than what I achieve," she said.







"I remember my dad saying - you can do this, you can win - but I just brushed it
off. I didn't want to think about it, I thought surely not, he is just my dad
and he is just being nice.

"So, the idea of winning was in the back of my mind, but I never thought it
would actually come true."

After getting a taste of the Olympic experience in Lausanne, Baff is primed for
a massive season ahead as she looks to qualify for Beijing 2022.

"Having the Youth Olympics under my belt has definitely prepared me for Beijing,
it has removed the unknown aspect of what it is going to be like and it is much
less intimidating now." Baff said.

The Australian snowboard cross team will compete in six World Cup events leading
into the 2022 Games, each event offering an opportunity to qualify for Beijing.
After a strong pre-season in Australia, training both on snow and in the gym,
Baff is ready to take on the world at the first qualifying event in November.

"We were lucky to go to Mt. Hotham this season, where we had a World Cup level
start gate. We all improved so much, I haven't had that level of training in so
long due to COVID-19, so it was great to get back in the gate." she said.

While the Olympic qualifying events kick off in a matter of weeks, Baff said she
is focusing on what she can control rather than the intricacies of Olympic
qualification.

"While my ultimate goal this season is to compete at Beijing 2022, I don't know
what I have to do to qualify and I don't want to know. I'd rather just focus on
my riding and doing the best I can at all of the events.

"At the upcoming World Cup events I want to continue to improve and just do
better than the week before. Hopefully by focusing on improving my riding, my
results will continue to improve as well."

As to what she is looking forward to if she qualifies for her debut Games, Baff
is excited to soak up the entire Olympic experience and gain insight into what
it is like competing on the world's biggest sporting stage.

"I don't have a set result I want to achieve, I just want to have a clean run
and feel like I've learnt a lot from the experience. That way, in another four
years' time when I go into Milano-Cortina 2026, I'm very prepared and I can
smash some more goals."

The Snowboard Cross World Cup tour kicks off in Secret Garden, China on November
26 2021, keep up to date on all the action via our social media channels.

Taylah O'Neill


#CHASINGWINTER








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