Clare Balding announced live on BBC Two a Winter Olympics schedule change with organisers forced to take action to protect athletes

Clare Balding announced on BBC Two the change of schedule that impacts qualifying for Mia Brookes (Image: Getty)
Clare Blading confirmed live on BBC Two that Team GB snowboarder Mia Brookes will be qualifying for the women’s snowboard slopestyle final a day earlier than scheduled. She relayed that news on air after the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced the schedule change was in anticipation of some forecast adverse weather.

Balding said during Saturday evening’s coverage: “There has been a change to the timetable on Monday because bad weather is expected to be coming, and that has meant that the snowboard slopestyle qualification has actually shifted to tomorrow, so Mia Brookes will be trying to qualify for the slopestyle final at 1:10pm.”

That announcement followed FIS’s statement, which revealed that organisers had to take action to protect the athletes. They said: “In anticipation of some adverse weather forecasted for the start of next week and in the aim of maintaining a safe and fair competition, men’s and women’s Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Snowboard Slopestyle qualifications have been rescheduled for Sunday, 15 February.

“Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle qualifications will open the day at the Livigno Snow Park, beginning at 10:15 CET, followed by the women’s Snowboard Slopestyle qualifications at 14:15. Milano Cortina 2026 Snowboard Slopestyle qualifications were originally scheduled for 16 February for both the men and women. No further schedule changes have been made at this time.”

Team GB snowboarder Brookes will partake in the women’s qualifying and is a former slopestyle world champion from 2023. The 19-year-old is also a two-time X Games champion, including the ones earlier this year.
Looking ahead to the slopestyle, she said: “I’m going all out for the slopestyle now. I reckon I will plan to go for the 16 in slopestyle, but we will just see how it goes.”

Mia Brookes now has one day less of preparation for the slopestyle qualifying because of the weather (Image: Getty)

Brookes came fourth in the Big Air, however, the teenager has performed best in slopestyle. Reflecting on the Big Air, Brookes said: “I could have done a 14 and come fourth or third, but I also could have done the 16, which I did, and landed it and won.

“I would rather be in fourth with a 16 rather than fourth and a 14. Koko is the only girl who has that trick right now, and so if I had landed it, I would have been the second woman to do that trick.

“It’s really special, and it would have been insane. I didn’t want to do it at all, but sometimes you just have to and grit your teeth. I gave everything I could, and it’s not like a trick I can do.

I gave it everything and more. I thought I had it and I did to my feet, but I just gave it too much power.”