CANNONBALL FESTIVAL 2023: DOWNHILL NATIONAL CHAMPS
On a windy day in Thredbo, the stage was set for one of the most anticipated events on our calendars: the 2023 Downhill National Championships.
Words: Georgina von Marburg
Photos: Matt Rousu
There were plenty of big horses in the race, each with something to prove. The U19s have been knocking on the door of the world stage; the likes of Sacha Mills, Georgia Henness, and Polly Pollock have been wowing the gravity community with their skill and bravery, and Lewis Allbon and Kael Foale have been ticking boxes at major event in the lead up to Nationals.
In the Elite ranks, Sian A’hern was feeling the professional pressure after joining the YT Mob factory team, and was hungry to reclaim the Aussie sleeve after Ellie Smith upstaged everyone at last year’s nationals in Maydena. Sian has been riding and racing the Cannonball track for years, the perfect place to display her speed and strength.
Connor Fearon was out to defend his title in the men’s, but he had hungry competition with the likes of Kye A’hern, Jackson Frew, Josh Arcus, and previous National Champ Troy Brosnan – all with extensive experience on the Cannonball downhill track. But all eyes were on quiet achiever Luke Meier-Smith, who’s extraordinary discipline and hard work delivered him a break-out year in 2022 in both the downhill World Cups and Enduro World Series. He and his brother Remy had been fine-tuning their new Giant Reigns for several week at Thredbo in preparation for nationals.
While these were the top Aussie contenders, a host of international riders were also present to spice up the mix – and Cannonball prize money. While on the back-end of their off season, the Santa Cruz Syndicate was out in force with Jackson Goldstone, Laurie Greenland, and Nina Hoffman, while Dorval Commencal had brought Benoit Coulanges to kick off their 2023 pre-season.
On the morning of the race, there was some concern over the wind gusts at the top of the Kozi chairlift. When gusts reach over 70 km/hr, the chairlift must cease operating under strict safety regulations. In the interest of making the most of the day, two decisions were made by Aus Cycling: only U17s, U19s, and Elites would race, and they would start at the bottom of the opening fire-road where they would be more protected from the wind. This cut out a significant chunk of the track, where riders were topping out at speeds of up to 80 km/hr in seeding! All other categories would be awarded based on their seeding times from the previous day.
Huge crowds 2-3 rows deep were gathered at significant points of the track, while spectators were spread across the grass above the finish line. Both Sacha Mills and Kael Foale were the last to drop in their respective U19 categories, each absorbing the pressure and finishing with winning runs. After seeding and the U17’s race runs, the infamous chute in the top section of the track was as rough as ever. It was incredibly impressive seeing the young guns float through the ruts amidst the hecklers and chain saws!
The Pro Women’s field was as stack as ever, but no punter could go past the flying Sian A’hern. She looked right at home on the long and physical track, while Ellie Smith could only watch on as the Aussie sleeve left her grasp. Not even Nina Hoffman could beat the Queanbeyan local on her favourite track, nor could a squirly moment in the chute throw Sian off course as she claimed an emphatic win with a time of 4:24.707.
After a crash in seeding, Luke Meier-Smith was one of the first to drop in the men’s category. Collapsing at the bottom of his race run, it was evident how much he wanted this win. He patiently sat in the hot seat while rider after rider failed to challenge his blistering time of 3:58.654. 2nd and 3rd position were constantly changing names as the long list of contenders progressed down the hill.
In scenes of frustration, Connor Fearon rolled down the hill after suffering a punctured tyre in the first five seconds of his race. But in the final run of the day, Canadian Jackson Goldstone took the top spot with a 3:57.226. “My legs are still shaking!” he exclaimed while slumped over his handlebars at the finish line.
Goldstone may have claimed the medal and $5k in prize money, but there was elation in the Meier-Smith camp as the green and gold jersey was placed on the shoulders of this incredibly deserving and humble rider. And in a touching act of respect and sportsmanship, Goldstone placed the gold medal around Meier-Smith’s neck at the final presentations.