Mia Brookes (born 19 January 2007)[1] is a British snowboarder who won the slopestyle event at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2023.

Mia Brookes
Personal information
Born (2007-01-19) 19 January 2007 (age 17)
Sandbach, Cheshire, England
Sport
SportSnowboarding
Achievements and titles
World finals2023
Medal record
Women's snowboarding
Representing  Great Britain
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Leysin Big Air
Silver medal – second place 2022 Leysin Slopestyle
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Bakuriani Slopestyle

Early life

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Brookes is from Sandbach, Cheshire, England.[2] She learned to snowboard aged 18 months,[2] at Kidsgrove ski centre in Stoke-on-Trent where her grandfather worked.[3] Her parents spent five ski seasons in Chamonix, France when Brookes was young,[3] and she also continued her snowboarding at Chill Factore.[4] Brookes has attended Sandbach High School; during the COVID-19 pandemic, she studied remotely so that she could compete in snowboard events in mainland Europe.[5]

Career

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Brookes has trained in Laax, Switzerland, Livigno, Italy, and Hintertux, Austria.[4] She joined the GB Snowsport programme at the age of 10, [6] and aged 11, she competed at the 2018 British Snowboard Championships in Laax.[3]

In December 2020, Brookes made her international debut, finishing second in a Europa Cup event in Piz Corvatsch.[2][5] She was unable to compete in FIS Snowboard World Cup events until she was 15 years old.[5] In 2022, she won the FIS Snowboarding Junior World Championships big air event, and finished second in the slopestyle event.[7] She was unable to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics, as she was too young.[2] She finished second in the 2022–23 FIS Snowboard World Cup slopestyle event in Laax,[4] and came sixth in the event at the 2023 X Games.[6]

Brookes won the slopestyle event at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2023.[2][8] At the age of 16, she was the youngest ever snowboard world champion and the first British person to win a snowboard slopestyle world title.[8][9] In her winning routine, she became the first woman to land a CAB 1440 in competition.[2][8]

Brookes was named Young Sportswoman of the year by The Times in 2023.[10] In December of that year, she was shortlisted for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Award.[11] On 19 December 2023, she was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in a live TV broadcast on BBC One.[12]

Brookes won the 2023 edition of the Big Air World Cup, after finishing the fourth and final competition in third place.[13] Her best result in the competition was second at the event in Edmonton.[14]

Major results

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World Championships

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Event Slopestyle Big Air
2023 Bakuriani Gold 5th

World Cup

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Season Freestyle overall Slopestyle Big Air
Points Position Points Position Points Position
2022–23 204 10th 130 3rd 74 14th
2023–24 282 6th 32 19th 250 1st

World cup podiums

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Season Date Location Discipline Place
2022–23 22 January 2023 Laax, Switzerland Slopestyle 2nd
2023–24 21 October 2023 Chur, Switzerland Big Air 3rd
9 December 2023 Edmonton, Canada Big Air 2nd
15 December 2023 Copper Mountain, United States Big Air 3rd
2024–25 2 September 2024 Cardrona, New Zealand Slopestyle 2nd

References

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  1. ^ "Sadowski-Synnott and Kleveland shine in Laax Open slopestyle". www.fis-ski.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Snowboarder Mia Brookes, 16, makes GB history with slopestyle world title". The Guardian. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Mia Brookes: The 'hippy in a motorhome' tipped for snowboarding greatness". BBC Sport. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "WHO IS WORLD SNOWBOARDING CHAMPION MIA BROOKES?". Team GB. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Snowboarder Mia Brookes, 13, takes podium on senior debut". BBC Sport. 27 December 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Mia Brookes becomes snowboarding world champion at 16". The Independent. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  7. ^ "FIVE BRITISH ATHLETES TO FOLLOW AS WINTER SPORTS SEASON BEGINS". Team GB. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "Mia Brookes, 16, becomes youngest snowboard slopestyle world champion". BBC Sport. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  9. ^ Church, Ben (28 February 2023). "Mia Brookes, 16, becomes youngest snowboarding world champion after landing stunning trick". CNN. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Mia is named young person of the year". Congleton Chronicle. 9 November 2023. p. 2.
  11. ^ "BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2023 top three revealed". BBC Media Centre. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Sports Personality of the Year 2023: Mia Brookes is Young Sports Personality of the Year". BBC Sport. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Big Air World Cup: Great Britain's Mia Brookes secures overall title". BBC Sport. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Big Air World Cup: Britain's Mia Brookes finishes second in Edmonton". BBC Sport. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
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