Jindabyne’s Josie Baff is being celebrated throughout the Snowy Mountains and across the country after winning gold in a stunning final run in the snowboard cross.

Hundreds cheered Baff on from a watch party in Jindabyne, while dozens of her family and friends were at Livigno to embrace our latest gold medallist following her stunning run in the big final.

Baff started the medal run well, hitting the first corner in second place. It didn’t take Baff long until she passed on the inside.

The 23-year-old held firm and crossed the finish line in first place to claim Australia’s eighth Winter Olympic gold medal.

Baff secured the Snowy Mountains second gold medal in Winter Olympics history, after Cooma's Torah bright won gold in the 2010 Winter Olympics in the halfpipe.

“It's very amazing. I would like to say that I can't believe it but I kind of can,” Baff said, as reported by Australian Olympic Committee.

“I feel like I deserve it. I've put in a lot of hard work, so I knew I could do it but to actually have the medal around my neck is very, very cool.  

“There's been a lot of sacrifice, a lot of sweat, a lot of tears – probably not as much blood – and it's definitely something that I've been working towards for a very long time and my team has been helping me achieve that every step of the way."

Baff was in tears during the medal ceremony as years of hard work produced Olympic gold.

The Baff family is well-known in Jindabyne and the Snowy Mountains.

The local star finished the time trials in 17th place before an anxious wait in the quarterfinals to progress to reach the semifinals.

Fellow Jindabyne athlete, Abbey Wilson, finished her Winter Olympics snowboard cross debut in the round of eight. There was lots of support for Wilson, and her sister Charlotte who competed in the moguls earlier in the week.

Australia’s snowboard cross team, featuring Baff and Jindabyne’s Adam lambert, will have another shot at a podium when two men and two women return for the mixed teams event on Sunday, 15 February.