VIP Reception for TeamGB Gold Medal Winner

TeamGB’s Huw Nightingale received a VIP reception from the Austrian Tirol ski resort of Westendorf, where his family have been based for nearly two decades, after winning the Snowboard Cross Mixed Team with Charlotte Bankes for Great Britain, Britain’s first ever Olympic Gold in snowsports, at the Milan Cortina Games.

The ceremony on Thursday evening began with a solemn procession featuring the town band, the rifle company, and the Westendorf Ski Club. From the clubhouse, the parade moved through the village centre together with numerous visitors and fans, making its way to the Westendorf ski meadow. There, the children of the Westendorf Ski Club were already waiting, greeting Huw Nightingale with Austrian and British flags, a moving moment that highlighted the close connection between his British sporting career and his adopted home of Westendorf.

In his speech, Mayor René Schwaiger honoured not only the historic Olympic victory but also Nightingale’s roots in the community. The Nightingale family moved from England to Westendorf back in 2007 and has been running a guesthouse there ever since.

Huw Nightingale received his first sporting inspiration from the local freestyle scene around Michael Minks, Tom Naschenweng, and Gogo Gossner. It was within the “Freestylas” group that his enthusiasm for competitions was sparked – he took part in his first slopestyle contest at the age of ten. He initially played football for SV Westendorf and began his winter sports career on skis before switching to snowboarding at eleven. At fifteen, he ultimately chose snowboard cross as his sporting path.

Through European Cup starts, strong results in international youth competitions, and his World Cup debut in 2021, his sporting journey led him step by step to the top of the world. After his first Olympic appearance in Beijing in 2022 – where he finished 30th in the individual event and sixth in the team event – his dream has now come true: at the 2026 Winter Olympics, he won the gold medal in Snowboard Cross Mixed Team together with Charlotte Bankes. The pair made sporting history. Nightingale has been part of the international snowboard cross elite for years and had already claimed the Mixed Team World Championship title in 2023.

Marco Oberhauser, chairman of the Brixental Tourism Board, also emphasised the special significance of this achievement for the region:

“Huw Nightingale is not only an Olympic champion but also an impressive example of how strongly our region shapes young talent. His story – from Westendorf to the biggest sporting stage in the world – makes us especially proud here in the Brixental.”

Following the official reception, the “Snow & Fire” ski show took place at 7:30 p.m., delighting a large crowd. The spectacular finale of the show was delivered by Huw Nightingale himself: with an impressive jump over the kicker, he set the sporting highlight of a very special evening.

The entire region expressed its pride in being able to celebrate an Olympic champion from its own community.

Images (c) TVB Kitzbüheler Alpen-Brixental, Fotograf LichtundMotiv Media

Looking ahead to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics? Don’t miss our in-depth Winter Olympics Guide, featuring Team GB athletes to watch, event highlights, and how to experience the Games in Italy this winter.

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