When 15-year-old Indra Brown reached the podium in her first World Cup event, she needed help from global superstar Eileen Gu to pop the cork on her champagne. She’s had plenty more practice since, as she heads into the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
Australia’s chef de mission Alissa Camplin-Warner said she did not want Brown to put too much pressure on herself at these Olympics when she announced the squad on Friday in Melbourne.<\/p>\n
“What I hope is that she can just be open to the whole experience, enjoy it and not heap too much pressure on herself,” Camplin-Warner said.<\/p>\n
But her performances have been such that there will doubtless be a clamour for the youngster when shen takes to the slopes.<\/p>\n
Despite the tricky conditions, with heavy snow slowing the pipe, the Melbourne teen opened up the competition with a hugely impressive score of 80.00 that put her in fourth place after round one.<\/p>\n
Despite being the youngest competitor at this year’s X-Games, Brown typically showed no nerves at the world’s foremost extreme sport showcase.<\/p>\n
Brown delighted the crowd with flawless back-to-back 900s, following up with a 720, back-to-back switch 360s and a big alley-oop to finish.<\/p>\n
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Indra Brown claimed a sensational silver. (Getty Images: Michael Reaves)<\/p>\n
But in the second round, she improved, getting more amplitude up the side of the pipe to score a superb 88.33 that thrust her into provisional second place.<\/p>\n
With the order shuffled on the final run, Brown went from leading the field off to going last.<\/p>\n
But even with that spotlight on her Brown continued to excel, improving her score to 90.00.<\/p>\n
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Indra Brown (right) had illustrious company on the podium with Cassie Sharpe (left) and Zoe Atkin.\u00a0 (Getty Images: Michael Reaves)<\/p>\n
Unfortunately she was never able to challenge Britain’s Zoe Atkin, who was simply a cut above the rest.<\/p>\n
The British skier \u2014 the reigning world champion and among the favourites for gold at the Livigno Ski Park in February \u2014 improved with each of her three runs to claim gold, with a stunning score of 94.66.<\/p>\n
Last year’s winner, Canada’s Cassie Sharpe, claimed bronze at 33 years of age \u2014 more than double Brown’s age.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Earlier, Australian Tess Coady secured fourth in the women’s snowboard slopestyle event.<\/p>\n
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Tess Coady finished in fourth spot in the snowboard slopestyle. (Getty Images: Michael Reaves)<\/p>\n
Britain’s Mia Brookes claimed gold with a 96.33 on her second run, with New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott leaping into the medals with a 93.00 with her third and final run.<\/p>\n
Coady, who won silver in the 2023 X-Games, improved with her final run, but it was not enough to overhaul the 89.66 of Japan’s Kokomo Murase.<\/p>\n
Olympic slopestyle bronze medallist from Beijing, Coady will compete in both slopestyle and big air at the Milan Cortina Games next month.<\/p>\n