Turner and Francesia Boirai claim maiden Snowboard Cross junior world titles

Cameron Turner (AUS) and Lisa Francesia Boirai (ITA) emerged as the new junior world champions in St Moritz on Friday, after racing was moved forward to avoid bad weather.

The first day of racing at the 2026 FIS Junior World Championships Snowboard Cross in Switzerland was originally scheduled for Saturday 14 March with qualification, but with a snowstorm forecast the finals instead took place on Friday, starting with pre-heats.

Both new champions have previously won medals at the FIS Junior World Championships: Francesia Boirai won bronze in Gudauri in 2024 at the age of just 15, while Turner picked up Mixed Team silver in Isola 2000 last year.

The host nation celebrated two silver medals, with Kenny Schlaeppi taking second place in the men’s event and Noemie Wiedmer finishing in the same position in the women’s. Tommaso Costa (ITA) and Fiona Caiolo Serra (FRA) were the bronze medallists.

Turner shines for Australia

Cameron Turner becomes the first junior world champion in Snowboard Cross for Australia, after consistency paid off throughout the day.

In the absence of 2025 champion Jonas Chollet (FRA), who is focusing on the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup despite still being only 17 years old, Turner was the highest-ranked athlete from the 2025 competition, and came off a second place at the European Cup in St Moritz earlier in the week.

The 19-year-old won his round of 64 race and his quarterfinal, but was beaten into second place in the 1/8 final by Federico Casi (ITA). Casi crashed out in the semifinal, with Turner taking the win and Benjamin Niel (FRA) joining him in the big final.

On the other side of the draw, Schlaeppi and Costa had similar paths to the big final. Schlaeppi was second in both his 1/8 and quarterfinals to Leon Engilberge (FRA), while Costa was second to Kenta Kirchwehm (GER) in his quarterfinal.

In the semifinal, Costa and Schlaeppi took the initiative and the key places in the medal race, relegating Engilberge and Kirchwehm to the small final.

When it came to the big final Turner was the clear winner, with Schlaeppi emerging second from a close race for the minor medals. Costa claimed his bronze in a photofinish with Niel, both riders crossing the line on the snow as they launched themselves at the line.

It was Schlaeppi’s first medal on his Junior World Championships debut, while Costa ends his junior career on a high after finishing 18th and 21st in the last two editions of the championships.

Engilberge took fifth overall, ahead of Mason Hamel (USA), Kirchwehm, and Casi.

Francesia Borai breaks French streak

A French rider has won the women’s event in the last four Junior World Championships – and an Italian has never won, before Friday’s racing in St Moritz.

Francesia Boirai has had a solid World Cup season, finishing seventh in Cervinia in December and 19th in Dongbeiya in January; she also raced at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

In St Moritz, the Italian won two out of her four races – the quarterfinal, and, crucially, the big final. She was beaten into second in the 1/8 final and the semifinal by Nuria Gubser (SUI), who could only manage fourth in the medal race.

Hanna Percy (USA), who had shown good form earlier in the week with European Cup victory in St Moritz, and Maja-Li Iafrate Danielsson (FRA), who has been consistently solid in the World Cup series this season, both missed out at the quarterfinal stage.

Wiedmer has been, alongside three-time junior world champion Lea Casta (FRA), the most successful junior rider on the World Cup circuit this season, finishing third in Erzurum, Türkiye, last weekend.

She emerged as the leader in every round in St Moritz – except for the final. There, she was just beaten by Francesia Boirai, and had to settle for her third silver medal in a row.

Caiolo Serra reached the small final in Isola 2000 last year, but achieved her first Junior World Championship podium after beating Gubser to bronze, ensuring there would be continued French representation among the medals.

QUICK LINKS

• Race Calendar

• 2026 Snowboard Cross FIS Junior World Championships Start Lists / Results