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British teenager Mia Brookes became the youngest world champion in snowboarding history after capping off a magnificent morning in Bakuriani, Georgia with a historic move.
The 16-year-old, the first to win world slopestyle gold for Great Britain, also hit the first CAB 1440 double grip in a women’s meet en route to a second run of 91.38 at her first world championships.
That put her ahead of two-time defending champion Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand, who took silver with a best score of 88.78 in her first race, while Japan’s Miyabi Onitsuka rounded out the podium in 83.05. .
Brookes, who sealed victory with the penultimate race of the meet, told the BBC: “I honestly feel like I’m going to cry.” I have never been so happy in my life. I can’t even talk, I’m so happy. I was at the top and my coach told me, ‘If you want to win this, try 14.’
‘I tried 12 in practice and went around and almost got to 14, and I knew it was possible on this jump. I’ve tried it once before, but this is my first time stepping on it, so I’m very happy.
British Mia Brookes has become the youngest world champion in snowboarding history
Brookes triumphed in the women’s slopestyle event at the Georgia World Championships
The 16-year-old landed the first CAB 1440 double grip in a women’s event to win gold.
Brookes has been snowboarding since he was 18 months old, traveling around Europe in his family’s motorhome.
She was discovered by GB Snowsport coaches at age 10 and was selected for the team’s development squad the following year.
GB Snowsport head coach Pat Sharples said on www.gbsnowsport.com: ‘What Mia has done here today is just next level. We all know Mia is talented, but this is her first season on the World Cup circuit and her first world championship, so pulling off a race like that with all the pressure of a world championship tells you everything you need to know. about her.
“We are all so excited for Mia, her trainers Mikey and Ben, her parents and the entire team around her.”
Brookes’s parents, Vicky and Nigel, had encouraged her to try snowboarding, as the couple had lived in Chamonix for five ski seasons.
After joining the GB Snowsport development team, Brookes competed in World Rookie Tour competitions.
Brookes has been snowboarding since he was 18 months old, traveling in his family’s motorhome around Europe.
She made her senior debut at a European Cup event in Switzerland in December 2020, underlining her potential with a runner-up finish in the all-court style competition.
Brookes was forced to overcome a setback in 2021, after being flown out of the snow following an accident.
The teen was reportedly left unconscious for 40 minutes after the accident, which ultimately resulted in a severe concussion.
Brookes only made her debut on the top-tier World Cup circuit in October, when the teenager competed in the Big Air event at Kreischberg in Austria.
Her first Slopestyle World Cup appearance ended in a podium finish, with Brookers finishing runner-up at Laax in January.
The result was one of three top-10 finishes during his debut World Cup season.
Brookes knows Laax well, and the teenager reportedly uses Swiss slopes as one of her main training bases, as well as Livigno in Italy and Hintertux in Austria.
The 16-year-old is aiming to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, as he was too young to participate in last year’s Games in Beijing.
“The Olympic rings are at the end of the tunnel,” Brookes told Team GB. “But I take it day by day and think about what I need to improve next.
Brookes, left, earned his first World Cup podium finish at the Laax Open in January
‘The Olympics would be great. My science teacher emailed my mom saying, “When Mia goes to the Olympics, I’ll come watch!”
Away from the snow, Brookes aims to bike 100 miles a week with her dad during the off-season, while she’s a keen skater, surfer and guitarist.
Brookes will also compete in the women’s Big Air event at the World Championships in Georgia, with qualifying scheduled for March 4.
The final will take place on March 5.