Australia's snowboard cross rider Alex "Chumpy" Pullin has captured the world's number one ranking, moving to the top of the points table after last night's Stoneham World Cup in Canada, and now has his sights firmly fixed on adding another major title to his stellar season.
Pullin, who won the World Championship in Spain last month and recorded two World Cup podium finishes in December, experienced a bitter-sweet day when he finished eighth in the sixth round of the series, but the 320 points earned saw him displace Frenchman Pierre Vaultier from the number one ranking.
Pullin joins Zeke Stegall as the only two Australian's to hold the snowboard cross world number one ranking. Steggall held the position for most of the 1999/2000 season.
With only two rounds to go, the Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder has a strong chance to take the World Cup title, a feat achieved by only five other Australians - aerial skiers Kirstie Marshall, Jacqui Cooper, Alisa Camplin and Lydia Lassila and mogul skiing star, Dale Begg-Smith.
With the absence of a dominant athlete in this season's snowboard cross World Cup, which was effected by the cancellation of two rounds in Korea, there are a large number of competitors tussling for the title.
Given that Pullin is currently sitting on 1770 points and that there are 2000 up for grabs in the remaining two rounds, arithmetically, any athlete competing in both Valmalenco, Italy, on March 18, and Arosa, Switzerland, on March 25 could prevent Pullin from winning.
Realistically, there are about 12 serious contenders standing between the 23-year-old Australian from the Victorian country town of Mansfield and World Cup glory.
Pullin is 80 points ahead of American Jonathan Cheever, who finished second last night in Stoneham, and must be regarded as a major threat.
Third ranked Vaultier is a further 100 points back but the Frenchman did not compete in Stoneham due to injury.
Italian Luca Matteotti is in fourth place on the points table but could only manage 15th place last night while American Nick Baumgartner, who picked up 1000 points with a win in Stoneham, is currently ranked ninth.
Pullin's joy of becoming the number one ranked snowboard cross athlete in the world was somewhat tarnished by letting a major opportunity slip through his fingers in Stoneham.
After finishing second in his first knock out final and winning his quarter final, he looked a certain starter in the final when he was leading his semi-final by five board lengths.
But his board became caught in a rut before a banked turn, causing the Australian to crash. Finishing fourth in the semi relegated Pullin to the consolation final and cost him valuable points.
Pullin, who won the World Championship in Spain last month and recorded two World Cup podium finishes in December, experienced a bitter-sweet day when he finished eighth in the sixth round of the series, but the 320 points earned saw him displace Frenchman Pierre Vaultier from the number one ranking.
Pullin joins Zeke Stegall as the only two Australian's to hold the snowboard cross world number one ranking. Steggall held the position for most of the 1999/2000 season.
With only two rounds to go, the Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder has a strong chance to take the World Cup title, a feat achieved by only five other Australians - aerial skiers Kirstie Marshall, Jacqui Cooper, Alisa Camplin and Lydia Lassila and mogul skiing star, Dale Begg-Smith.
With the absence of a dominant athlete in this season's snowboard cross World Cup, which was effected by the cancellation of two rounds in Korea, there are a large number of competitors tussling for the title.
Given that Pullin is currently sitting on 1770 points and that there are 2000 up for grabs in the remaining two rounds, arithmetically, any athlete competing in both Valmalenco, Italy, on March 18, and Arosa, Switzerland, on March 25 could prevent Pullin from winning.
Realistically, there are about 12 serious contenders standing between the 23-year-old Australian from the Victorian country town of Mansfield and World Cup glory.
Pullin is 80 points ahead of American Jonathan Cheever, who finished second last night in Stoneham, and must be regarded as a major threat.
Third ranked Vaultier is a further 100 points back but the Frenchman did not compete in Stoneham due to injury.
Italian Luca Matteotti is in fourth place on the points table but could only manage 15th place last night while American Nick Baumgartner, who picked up 1000 points with a win in Stoneham, is currently ranked ninth.
Pullin's joy of becoming the number one ranked snowboard cross athlete in the world was somewhat tarnished by letting a major opportunity slip through his fingers in Stoneham.
After finishing second in his first knock out final and winning his quarter final, he looked a certain starter in the final when he was leading his semi-final by five board lengths.
But his board became caught in a rut before a banked turn, causing the Australian to crash. Finishing fourth in the semi relegated Pullin to the consolation final and cost him valuable points.
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