Beijing 2022 : Day 8 morning

Snowboard Mixed Team Event Comments from Team GB's Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale after their sixth-place finish in the inaugural mixed team snowboard cross. Before the team event, Bankes finished ninth in the women’s individual snowboard cross on Wednesday, whilst Nightingale finished 30th in the men’s. Charlotte Bankes Age: 26 Hometown: Hautes-Alpes, France On their performance: “We knew it was going to be tough today. Huw did a good run, certainly at the start. “It meant I just needed to try and get into the draft, just focus on my stance at the start and try and catch as much time as possible. “I had the Russian on my heels as well, so I was just trying to generate as much speed until the end. I pushed as hard as I could to try and get as close as possible.” On the disappointment of the individual event: “I’m not quite over it but I’ve been coming out here with the team today and the team’s worked amazingly well to get me back on it. “It was good motivation to just have a good race today and not focus on what’s happened beforehand.” On the prospect of a next Olympics: “That hasn’t even crossed my mind, I’m just trying to push as hard as I can and ride as well as I can and I think I can still improve on that. “There’s a lot more before the Olympics and there’s some good stuff to finish off the season. There’s world championships next season, world cups. “I’ll give it my best and just have fun on the snowboard.” On having to race after Nightingale: “I saw Huw make a mistake at the start but he didn’t give up and he pushed until the end and that’s great. “I think it’s something we all need to learn from, to never give up and push to the end and think the team brings that on as well. “I’d never really been in that position - I’ve never done a mixed team event. It was challenging to start but it was fun. “Just pushing to try and do the best that we can is what they’ve taught us, and we didn’t give up, we pushed as hard as we could and that’s good.” On Nightingale’s first Olympics: “He’s been riding really well and I’m really proud of how he’s done.” On her chasing the pack: “There was a screen, so we knew what the time difference was which was quite useful. “I’d already done team events but with female-female where we started together, and we didn’t really know. “At least this time there was a little break. You reset and you’re like okay, when that button opens I’ve still got three seconds. “You just need to focus on yourself in that start section and then start chasing.” On her induvial final and whether she’d have done something differently: “No, I think that’s what’s come out of all the discussions we’ve had. “All the team together debriefed it a bit and there’s no regrets to have with the conditions we had on that day. And the track. There’s nothing else we could have done. “Unfortunately, it was tight racing and I didn’t have anywhere else to go so there’s no regrets. “I’m gutted but that’s how it is.” Huw Nightingale Age: 20 Hometown: Bolton On the result: “I came here with nothing to lose. To do a small final here with Charlotte is just a great achievement for me.” On learning from Bankes: “She’s taught me loads of things. Through the whole preseason she’s just helped me through everything so it’s very appreciated.” On trying to keep pace with the frontrunners: “When you’re so far behind, in your mind you think well I should just give up. “But then, knowing that Charlotte is still up there, and I can do the best possible time for her, it gives me the motivation to know that Charlotte is also giving her best to try and get whatever we can get.” On watching Bankes: “It’s really nerve-wracking to see her just catch up with the others - she gets in between and I’m thinking please don’t fall! “I know Charlotte doesn’t fall so I can always trust on her. “It’s just nerve-wracking to be honest, just standing there and watching the big screen.” On squad morale: “I think it’s very high now. After the singles event, it was tough because Charlotte got out and nobody was really expecting it and with me I could have done a bit better but now after this event, I think we’re all happy to have got through the Games and we can actually celebrate now.” Speed Skating Comments from Team GB’s Cornelius Kersten following his 25th place finish in the men’s 500m. Kersten, who is Team GB’s first long-track speed skater since 1992, finished 19th in the men’s 1500m last Tuesday and will take to the ice again in the men’s 1000m on Friday. Cornelius Kersten Age: 27 Hometown: Heemstede, Nertherlands On the race “Yeah, I’m really happy about today’s race, it was my fastest opener ever. That’s what we were aiming for today – doing a fast opener and seeing what happens afterwards. “I had a small slip in the first corner so I lost a bit of speed there, but overall I’m happy. “It was just a bit of a shame that we had quite a few delays before the race but it is what it is and you just need to deal with it.” On the delays [racing was delayed 15 minutes] “You’re really building towards a certain moment, with your focus and the amount of energy that’s going around, and also the amount of excitement. “If that happens about six minutes before your race, you need to keep that level of energy and excitement up for twenty, twenty-five minutes. “It’s harder and in the past I’ve struggled to keep focus but today I managed to keep it together, so I was happy about that.” On issues with the ice “It’s not really in the back of my mind because I saw directly that the issue was in the outer corner and I wasn’t skating there. “Also, the second something happens with the ice here, you’ll see the ice techs hop on the ice and check it directly so I’m pretty sure that when they leave, it’s okay to go. I’m not worried about that.” On recovering from the 1500m “Luckily I had a rest day the day after, but I had a long sleep.” On the 1000m on Friday “Yeah, I’m really looking forward to the 1000m now. I’m feeling snappy, feeling good. “We’ve got six days until the 1000m so it’s just about zoning into the final details, getting fast, thinking snappy and we’re there.” On his preparation “Just as usual, listen to a load of Adele and chill out.”