With 2010 Olympic Medallists Lydia Lassila and Dale Begg-Smith taking the first year of the new four year cycle year off from competition, a new group of AIS winter sports athletes seized the opportunity to establish themselves as leading performers on the world stage.

The main highlight was without a doubt AIS Snowboard athletes Alex Pullin, Nathan Johnstone and Holly Crawford each winning gold at the 2011 World Championships in La Molina, Spain. Capping off an amazing season, both Alex and Nathan finished the season ranked number one on the World Cup standings, with Holly ranked a close second.

The AIS Ski Cross program also had great success with Scott Kneller recording his debut World Cup victory in San Candido, Italy, and Jenny Owens winning the fourth World Cup medal of her career, capturing bronze in Blue Mountain, Canada.

A number of encouraging performances were also recorded by first year AIS scholarship athletes Aerial Skier Laura Peel and Mogul Skier Britt Cox. Laura finished in sixth place at the final World Cup of the season in Minsk, Belarus, with Britt twelfth at the World Championships in Deer Valley, USA.

In ice sports, Short Track Speed Skater Lachlan Hay produced one of the best results of his career to finish in tenth place in the 1500 metres at the ISU World Cup in Changchun, China. In Skeleton, Emma Lincoln-Smith completed a successful World Cup season achieving five top 10 results. Cheltzie Lee was again Australia’s leading Figure Skater, finishing in tenth place at the Four Continents event in Taipei and 21st at the World Championships in Moscow, Russia.

Medals won by Australian Athletes
1) Alex Pullin - 2nd place - 8/12/2010 - Lech am Arlberg - World Cup - Snowboard - SBX
2) Alex Pullin - 3rd place - 17/12/2010 - Telluride - World Cup - Snowboard - SBX
3) Scott Kneller - 1st place - 19/12/2010 - Innichen/San Candido - World Cup - Ski Cross
4) Alex Pullin - 1st place - 18/01/2011 - La Molina - World Championships - Snowboard - SBX
5) Nathan Johnstone - 1st place - 20/01/2011 - La Molina - World Championships - Snowboard - HP
6) Holly Crawford - 1st place - 20/01/2011 - La Molina - World Championships - Snowboard - HP
7) Anna Segal - 1st place - 3/02/2011 - Park City Mountain Resort - World Championships - Slopestyle - Ski
8) Russ Henshaw - 3rd place - 3/02/2011 - Park City Mountain Resort - World Championships - Slopestyle - Ski
9) Jenny Owens - 3rd place - 11/02/2011 - Blue Mountain - World Cup - Ski Cross
10) Nathan Johnstone - 1st place - 13/02/2011 - Yabuli - World Cup - Snowboard - HP
11) Holly Crawford - 2nd place - 18/02/2011 - Stoneham - World Cup - Snowboard - HP
12) Nathan Johnstone - 2nd place - 40600 - Calgary - World Cup - Snowboard - HP
13) Holly Crawford - 2nd place - 40600 - Calgary - World Cup - Snowboard - HP
14) Nathan Johnstone - 1st place - 40613 - Bardonecchia - World Cup - Snowboard - HP
15) Holly Crawford - 1st place - 40613 - Bardonecchia - World Cup - Snowboard - HP
16) Alex Pullin - 1st place - 40627 - Arosa - World Cup - Snowboard - SBX
17) Holly Crawford - 2nd place - 40628 - Arosa - World Cup - Snowboard - HP