Best of March: World and European glory on snow, ice and track

Spring has sprung as the march to Milano Cortina 2026 and beyond continues.

From quota places to medals, here's all the action from the last month.

Bankes on top of the world

Charlotte Bankes rang in March with a fourth consecutive Snowboard Cross World Cup win. The snowboarder topped the podium in Erzurum, backing up a hat trick of victories in February.

Bankes followed that up with another win in Gudauri a week later and sits in pole position for the crystal globe, with a narrow lead over Castea at the top of the snowboard cross standings.

She also took home silver in the women's snowboard cross at the Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships in Switzerland later in the month.

Having suffered an early setback in the final, Bankes rallied and placed second to Italy's Michela Moioli in a dramatic photo finish, collecting her first individual World Championships medal since a 2021 gold, adding to a silver won in Utah in 2019 and a team gold with Huw Nightingale in Bakuriani.

“We knew our tactics today, we knew bank three was important to generate the speed for the bottom, and that I had to be patient and focus on myself," she said.

“Unfortunately, in the final I’m a bit frustrated with my start, but I didn’t panic, focused on building speed, came back afterwards and happy to be in the fight until the finish. That was a strong final, Michela really deserves it, and I’m happy that I pushed her to the finish.”

Double delight for Weston and Wyatt

Fresh off making history by becoming the first Brits to occupy first and second overall at the Skeleton World Cup last month, Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt were at it again, placing first and second respectively at the World Championships in Lake Placid.

Weston took the world crown with a powerful performance on the ice, setting a new track record of 52.80s in his third run before finishing nearly two seconds ahead of the field after all four runs.

Read more: Marcus Wyatt only has room for improvement after a stellar year

Wyatt made it a British one-two with his silver marking a first individual World Championships medal for the 33-year-old, who finished three-hundredths of a second ahead of Germany's Axel Jungk.

The duo's performances in Lake Placid increase the tally of medals won by British skeleton athletes at the iconic event to 15.

“It just feels amazing. My last push was obviously not the best, I almost fell over but I can’t really complain. I felt good the whole week, sliding went well and look what happened!”, said Weston.

Wyatt added: “I can hardly speak. Team GB on one and two, a crazy day. My favourite moment of the season. I was really disappointed after my third run and dropping a spot but now I’m over the moon.”

Weston later went on add to his medal tally with team silver alongside Tabby Stoecker to cap off a superb World Championships.

Amber and Jeremiah zoom to gold

Amber Anning and Jeremiah Azu both claimed memorable golds at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing.

March had already been a month to remember for Azu, who became the first British man since Richard Kilty to be crowned European indoor 60m champion in Apeldoorn two weeks earlier.

Azu backed that up in style in China, clocking 6.49s in the final to again follow in Kilty's footsteps, 11 years since the latter was also crowned 60m world champion.

Anning then made it two British golds within 24 hours in Nanjing, as she clinched a dramatic 400m title, her first senior individual medal on the global stage.

The Brighton-born athlete was made to battle with American Alexis Holmes and recovered mightily from a shove at the start of the second lap to power down the home straight and clock 50.60s.

Anning said: “It feels amazing. It was a very close race probably not quite what I had imagined and pictured in terms of my execution, but I was just so grateful that I was able to come away and get the win and I fought to the end.”

Neil Gourley and Georgia Hunter Bell also medalled in Nanjing, with the pair taking silver and bronze in the 1500m respectively.

It capped off a memorable month on the track, with Azu not the only medal in Apeldoorn.

Andrew Robertson joined Azu on the 60m podium with bronze, while George Mills and Melissa Courtney-Bryant earned silvers in the 3000m.

Revee Walcott-Nolan earned a 1500m bronze for a maiden international medal, while Anning was part of the women's 4x400m relay team that won silver.

Muir back better than ever

Kirsty Muir marked her return from injury with Freestyle Ski World Cup slopestyle victory in Tignes.

Muir returned to the circuit last month after a year-long absence due to an ACL injury, but has made up for lost time with some impressive performances.

The 20-year-old reached the top of the podium for the first time in her career when she finished ahead of Australia's Abi Harrigan and New Zealander Ruby Star Andrews in France.

"I've been wanting that for so long," she said. "I started competing in World Cups when I was 15 and have been trying for so long.

"Even before then I had been dreaming about it so I'm so happy to have done it finally.

"I'm just thankful to everyone for helping me get through the last year and coming back stronger."

Fear and Gibson dazzle on ice

Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson wrote their names in the record books by winning Great Britain's first World Championship medal in figure skating for 41 years.

Dancing to a Beyonce medley, the ice dance duo followed Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean onto the podium, dazzling the judges with bronze in Boston.

Read more: Showing our vulnerable side is paying off

I cried non-stop," said Fear. "I can't even describe my feelings. I'm still shaking. Its a dream come true, and I'm kind of in disbelief. But I'm so grateful for the results."

Gibson added: "The crowd here was amazing, and insane," he said. "I think we got to the moment we really worked for, they were so loud and supportive, we are thankful to the audience."

Atkin soars to gold

Zoe Atkin capped off a stellar campaign on the slopes with halfpipe victory at the 2025 Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships in Engadin.

Left chasing the pack in her second and final run, Aktin kept her cool to land a 93.50 run, edging out China's Li Fanghui by 0.5 points to secure her third individual World Championships medal, having claimed bronze in 2021 and silver in 2023.

Atkin said: “I feel amazing – I’m World Champion! I’m going to go celebrate, I’m going to eat all the Swiss chocolate I have in my bedroom, I’m going to have a drink out on the patio, I’m just so excited!

“I was so nervous going into my second run so to be able to put it down when the pressure was on felt so good, and to come back after I got third at my first World Champs and second at my second Champs, it just feels so good, I’m so excited!”

Keep calm and curl

The World Women's Curling Championship saw Scotland secure Team GB's quota spot at next year's Winter Olympics after reaching the playoffs.

Scotland placed sixth in the table to book a knockout showdown with Canada but Team Jackson were unable to repeat their surprise 8-7 win in their round robin opener, falling 10-4 to the world number one ranked side.

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