Mia Brookes arrives at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics as Great Britain's brightest snowboarding medal hope. The 19-year-old slopestyle specialist carries the weight of British Olympic expectations.

Brookes' Rise

The Lake District native burst onto the scene winning slopestyle gold at the 2023 World Championships aged 16. She became Britain's youngest ever winter world champion. Brookes has podiumed at six of her last eight World Cup events.

Olympic Prospects

Bookmakers list Brookes as second favorite for slopestyle gold behind New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski-Synnott. She plans to compete in slopestyle and big air disciplines. Her signature backside 1260 rotation is one of the most difficult tricks in women's snowboarding.

Training and Preparation

Brookes spent the preseason training in New Zealand and Switzerland. She worked specifically on rail combinations, historically her weakest element. Mental preparation included sessions with the same sports psychologist who helped Team GB cyclists.

Competition Schedule

Slopestyle qualification runs February 8 with finals February 9. Big air qualification is February 13 with finals February 14. Brookes will have one day of rest between the two finals.

Support System

Her father, a former professional skier, serves as her coach. British Snowboarding invested heavily in her development since age 12. Olympic champion Jenny Jones mentors Brookes, having won Britain's first snowboarding medal in 2014.