FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup: Britain's Charlotte Bankes wins gold in Italy

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Zoe Atkin's score of 92.75 was 0.75 behind winner Zhang Kexin

Britain's Charlotte Bankes has won a gold medal at the Snowboard Cross World Cup in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

The 27-year-old qualified in first place and secured victory ahead of American Faye Gulini in second and France's Chloe Trespeuch in third.

Meanwhile, at the Freestyle Ski World Cup at Mammoth Mountain, USA, British freestyle skier Zoe Atkin claimed halfpipe silver.

Kirsty Muir also celebrated a silver medal in the slopestyle event.

US-born Atkin, 20, followed up her X Games gold by finishing second behind China's Zhang Kexin.

Zhang's winning score of 93.50 was 0.75 ahead of Atkin, while Canada's Rachael Karker was third with 91.75.

Muir, 18, was runner-up to Norway's Johanne Killi, with Ruby Andrews聽of New Zealand taking bronze.

The halfpipe event at Mammoth Mountain also included a tribute to US skier Kyle Smaine, who died, aged 31, in an avalanche in Japan on Sunday.

Smaine's wife Jenna Dramise led hundreds of well-wishers in skiing the halfpipe before the competition began.