It was a first gold of any Youth Winter Olympic Games for Australia as Josie Baff launched herself to the top of the podium after winning the women's snowboard cross by .05 seconds.

The 16-year-old stunned viewers and opponents as she pipped France's Margaus Herpin to the post by a whisker with Anouk Doerig from Switzerland taking the bronze.

“I’m stoked, I’m shocked, I’m very overwhelmed,” Baff said. “The conditions were perfect. Everyone was racing so well. Every single race has been insanely close. Something hit me at the end to win it. 

"I don’t remember much about the race. My mum and dad are in tears and so was I. Everyone will be so happy back home.”

For a country that has been in the news for the devastating bushfire crisis in recent weeks, Baff's achievement is now providing some welcome positive headlines.

Elsewhere in the snowboarding events, Japan's Mitsuki Oni took the top spot in the women's halfpipe, a full 10 points ahead of compatriot Manon Kaji in second. Switzerland's home hope Berenice Wicki styled her way into third.

Austria continued their traditional dominance in the ski jumping as mixed team of Lisa Hirner, Stefan Rettenegger, Julia Muhlbacher and Marco Woergoetter stormed to a huge 48.4 point victory over Japan in second and France took the bronze over Russia by a mere 6.3 points.

In the women's freeski halfpipe, it was a China one-two with Ailing Eileen Gu, who took silver in the slopestyle, going one better and taking the gold ahead of team mate Fanghui Li and Hanna Faulhaber from America just pipping Meng Wu to prevent a Chinese clean sweep.

Russia took a grasp on the German sliding dominance of the games so far, beating them to the top spot in the mixed team luge relay while the trio from Latvia took the bronze.

There was also track action in the short track speed skating 500m. Korea's Whi Min Seo took gold ahead of Michelle Velzeboer of the Netherlands and Canada's Florence Brunelle in bronze.

The penultimate day of action continues on Tuesday with six medals on offer with a further eight on the final day ahead of the closing ceremony on January 22.