Chrirstophe Pallot/FIS Alex "Chumpy" Pullin rewrote the record books last night in La Molina, Spain, by capturing Australia's first snowboarding World Championship gold medal.
The 23-year-old AIS scholarship holder from Mansfield/Mt Buller, stood on top of the world after a resounding win in the snowboard cross final, downing two Americans, dual Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott and six time X-Games winner Nate Holland.
An elated Pullin said that he was motivated to do well at these championships by the huge disappointment he suffered at last year's Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada, where he set the fastest time in qualifying only to finish in 17th due to a racing mishap.
"I was gutted after the Olympics because I went there ready to win.
"I now know that you learn more when you don't win and things don't go well.
"A fire was lit inside of me when the Olympics ended and at that time I identified these championships as the target to go after," the number two in the world recalled.
"From that moment I focused all my energy and thinking on the World Championships and for it to all come together is surreal.
"As I crossed the line today my mind exploded with a bunch of emotions. Initially, when I realised I had won the World Championship, it was excitement. Then there was some relief because until winning today everything is up in the air. And then I experienced happiness like I've never felt before."
Under the direction of AIS head snowboard coach, Ben Wordsworth, Pullin underwent a punishing training block specifically designed by Winter Sports physiologist, John Marsden, in readiness for this year's northern hemisphere's season, which has already provided two podium finishes and a current World Cup ranking of two.
His supreme fitness, race strategy preparation, focus and an abundance of talent enabled him stand on podium's highest step proudly holding the Australian flag while Olympic medalists, the defending World Champion, Austria's Markus Schairer, and other elite boarders looked on.
But he had to endure the fight of his career to get there, surviving knock out races against the current dual Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott on three occasions throughout the final day of the snowboard cross championship.
After qualifying in fourth place behind Schairer, Frenchman Pierre Vaultier and Italian ace Luca Matteotti, Pullin won his first knockout final in the round of 32 in convincing style.
He then went on to edge out Wescott in the four man quarter final encounter before finishing second to the American in a drama packed semi-final, a race that could have wiped out Pullin's championship dream.
Pullin described his semi-final start as the worst of his career, causing the Australian to fall back to third for the first half of the race. Had he remained there, Pullin would have been relegated to the consolation final, lamenting another golden opportunity.
For a flashing moment in the semi, he recalled the disappointment of Vancouver and made his move. He knew that bank two of the 20-feature 650-metre course was critical to his championship dream. He was bolstered by the thought that he had ridden bank two brilliantly all week in training, so he attacked.
He gathered speed coming out of bank two and was able to make a daring pass on the next turn to grab second behind his main rival Wescott, which enabled him to qualify for the championship round.
Pitted against Wescott for the third time for the day, Pullin delivered a flawless performance in the final, leading from start to finish, and etched his name in the record books.
Displaying his typical magnanimous and unselfish nature, the affable Australian said that he hoped the win would bolster the fortunes of his sport and ignite a passion in future generations of boarders.
"To see that an Aussie has won a World Championship will only help grow snowboarding, which is a sport that I have a huge passion for," he said.
Olympic Winter Institute of Australia CEO Mr Geoff Lipshut described the history making win as a huge catalyst for snowboard & snow sports in Australia.
"This is a fantastic result by Chumpy and his team, a real testament to his personal effort and self-belief after the extreme disappointment at the 2010 Olympics," Mr Lipshut said.
Pullin joins a select group of Australian winter sport athletes who have won World Championships, consisting of Kirstie Marshall (Aerials), Jacqui Cooper (Aerials), Alisa Camplin (Aerials), Dale Begg-Smith (Moguls), Zali Steggall (Alpine) and Men's 5000m Relay team (Speed Skating).
The 23-year-old AIS scholarship holder from Mansfield/Mt Buller, stood on top of the world after a resounding win in the snowboard cross final, downing two Americans, dual Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott and six time X-Games winner Nate Holland.
An elated Pullin said that he was motivated to do well at these championships by the huge disappointment he suffered at last year's Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada, where he set the fastest time in qualifying only to finish in 17th due to a racing mishap.
"I was gutted after the Olympics because I went there ready to win.
"I now know that you learn more when you don't win and things don't go well.
"A fire was lit inside of me when the Olympics ended and at that time I identified these championships as the target to go after," the number two in the world recalled.
"From that moment I focused all my energy and thinking on the World Championships and for it to all come together is surreal.
"As I crossed the line today my mind exploded with a bunch of emotions. Initially, when I realised I had won the World Championship, it was excitement. Then there was some relief because until winning today everything is up in the air. And then I experienced happiness like I've never felt before."
Under the direction of AIS head snowboard coach, Ben Wordsworth, Pullin underwent a punishing training block specifically designed by Winter Sports physiologist, John Marsden, in readiness for this year's northern hemisphere's season, which has already provided two podium finishes and a current World Cup ranking of two.
His supreme fitness, race strategy preparation, focus and an abundance of talent enabled him stand on podium's highest step proudly holding the Australian flag while Olympic medalists, the defending World Champion, Austria's Markus Schairer, and other elite boarders looked on.
But he had to endure the fight of his career to get there, surviving knock out races against the current dual Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott on three occasions throughout the final day of the snowboard cross championship.
After qualifying in fourth place behind Schairer, Frenchman Pierre Vaultier and Italian ace Luca Matteotti, Pullin won his first knockout final in the round of 32 in convincing style.
He then went on to edge out Wescott in the four man quarter final encounter before finishing second to the American in a drama packed semi-final, a race that could have wiped out Pullin's championship dream.
Pullin described his semi-final start as the worst of his career, causing the Australian to fall back to third for the first half of the race. Had he remained there, Pullin would have been relegated to the consolation final, lamenting another golden opportunity.
For a flashing moment in the semi, he recalled the disappointment of Vancouver and made his move. He knew that bank two of the 20-feature 650-metre course was critical to his championship dream. He was bolstered by the thought that he had ridden bank two brilliantly all week in training, so he attacked.
He gathered speed coming out of bank two and was able to make a daring pass on the next turn to grab second behind his main rival Wescott, which enabled him to qualify for the championship round.
Pitted against Wescott for the third time for the day, Pullin delivered a flawless performance in the final, leading from start to finish, and etched his name in the record books.
Displaying his typical magnanimous and unselfish nature, the affable Australian said that he hoped the win would bolster the fortunes of his sport and ignite a passion in future generations of boarders.
"To see that an Aussie has won a World Championship will only help grow snowboarding, which is a sport that I have a huge passion for," he said.
Olympic Winter Institute of Australia CEO Mr Geoff Lipshut described the history making win as a huge catalyst for snowboard & snow sports in Australia.
"This is a fantastic result by Chumpy and his team, a real testament to his personal effort and self-belief after the extreme disappointment at the 2010 Olympics," Mr Lipshut said.
Pullin joins a select group of Australian winter sport athletes who have won World Championships, consisting of Kirstie Marshall (Aerials), Jacqui Cooper (Aerials), Alisa Camplin (Aerials), Dale Begg-Smith (Moguls), Zali Steggall (Alpine) and Men's 5000m Relay team (Speed Skating).
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