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Bolton’s first top 10 finish

22/3/2013

Cam Bolton (Yellow bib) out in front at Sierra Nevada

NSW Institute of Sport snowboard cross rider Cameron Bolton has ended the World Cup season with a career first top 10 finish in Sierra Nevada, Spain.

The 22-year-old from Perisher won through to the consolation final of the season’s finals with a performance that was clearly the best of his developing career.

Along with the confidence boosting 10th place, Bolton picked up 260 World Cup points, which lifts his end of season ranking to 32 in the world, up four spots from where he was listed before Sierra Nevada.

The event was won by Frenchman Pierre Vaultier, who recorded his 15th World Cup victory, followed by Austria’s former World Champion Markus Schairer and Italy’s Omar Visintin.

The day started in fine style for Bolton who was first across the line in the round of 32.

In a quarter final, Bolton ‘s momentum continued with a third place, which put him into the semis.

Unfortunately Bolton was unable to finish the semi in the one of the first three places that would have seen him advance to the medal round.

However, in the consolation final Bolton fought hard to finish in a strong fourth place to end a day which will in no doubt move him closer to qualify for nomination to represent Australia at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

Fellow NSWIS rider Andy Fischer ended the season in 40th place, after a DNF in the round of 32.

Win puts Pullin on top of the world

17/3/2013

Alex "Chumpy" Pullin on top of the podium in Veysonnaz
IMAGE © FIS – Oliver Kraus

Dual snowboard cross World Champion Alex “Chumpy” Pullin turned silver into gold with a dramatic lunge on the finish line in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, today, to force the first dead-heat victory in World Cup history, providing the crowning accolade to Australia’s highest World Cup and World Championships medal tally in one season in more than 43 years of participation.

Pullin looked destined for second place with just metres to go in the final but the Australian Institute of Sport athlete was able to manufacture a perfectly timed manoeuvre on the finish line that made it impossible for the judges to separate the first two riders in a photo finish.

After a lengthy deliberation, Pullin and Poland’s Mateusz Ligocki were declared joint winners, ahead of the third placed Austrian Alessandro Haemmerle.

The win is the 24th medal won by an Australian athlete in elite wintersport competition this season and combining Winter Olympic Games, World Championships and World Cup medals, Pullin’s gold is Australia’s 300th medal.

Pullin’s victory, his third this season, clinched the World Cup Crystal Globe trophy, the highest honour in World Cup competition, which is awarded to the athlete who finishes the season on top of the series points table.

It is the second time Pullin has won the Crystal Globe trophy and, like his first time in 2011, he has achieved this exceptional feat in the same year as winning the World Championships title, offering irrefutable proof that the Australian, with seven finals appearances in seven races, is clearly the season’s best rider.

With one World Cup round still to be contested, the world number one has increased the margin over his closest rival, Austria’s Markus Schairer, to 1750 points.

With a maximum of 1000 points up for grabs in the season ending finals in Sierra Nevada, Spain, next weekend, the Australian holds an unassailable lead.

After posting the second fastest time in the qualification session, the day went to plan with the AIS rider notching wins in the round of 32 and his quarter final, before qualifying for the medal round with a second place in a semi-final.

Pullin said the last turn in the final was pivotal to today’s result.

“As we came into the bottom section in the last turn, that was a make or break situation,” he said.

“It was tricky for me because of the slipstream with all riders bunched up again. The decision I had to make was to take a very high line and carry speed across the long flat to the finish or take the low line and block my line but perhaps risk being passed.

“I went for the high line and it paid off.”

In contrast, Ligocki took the low line, which did not generate the same amount of speed out of the turn and although the manoeuvre put the Pole into the lead, Pullin had the velocity approaching the line.

Pullin was able to close a two length deficit, only to brush shoulders with Ligocki about 20 metres from the line, which again cost the Australian valuable speed.

As the two contenders approached the finish, Pullin thrust his board forward just as they crossed the line to bring about the unprecedented dead-heat.

A delighted Pullin said that this season has been “my perfect season.”

“Seven races, seven finals, World Championships victory, Globe locked away, it can’t be better,” he said.

“There’s been a certain amount of intensity, what I call Ninja mode, being able to stay in focus all season.

“I’ve been that way for the last 12 months. Every training run, every weight I lift really counts to me. At the start of the season it is hard to see the big picture but looking back, that’s what I stuck to and that’s what’s worked.

“Winning the overall title was playing on my mind today and I knew I had to go for the win.

“My key today was being really smooth, really fluent and to carry momentum.”

Pullin praised his coach AIS Head Coach Ben Wordsworth for his role, along with his parents who have supported his dreams since he skied for the first time at the age of three and the AIS / Olympic Winter Institute of Australia scholarship program, which has set up the outstanding results enjoyed across a number of wintersport disciplines this season.

NSW Institute of Sport athletes Cam Bolton and 17-year-old Jarryd Hughes both made the finals but were eliminated in the round of 32.

In the women’s event, Australia’s world number eight, NSWIS rider Belle Brockhoff finished the day in ninth place behind winning French rider Nelly Moenne Loccoz, Canada’s Dominique Maltais in second and Czech Eva Samkova in third. Australia’s Torah Bright was 22nd.

Chumpy goes from strength to strength with another win

10/3/2013

world cup leaders after arosa, dominique maltais (can) and alex pullin (aus)

Australia’s dual World Champion Alex “Chumpy” Pullin underlined his high achievements so far this season when he won the World Cup snowboard cross event in Arosa, Switzerland.

Although the Australian Institute of Sport rider went into the event already as the world number one, he leaves Arosa with a vise-grip on finishing the season as the top ranked athlete, which would see Pullin awarded the coveted Crystal Globe trophy for the second time in his outstanding career.

With appearances in all five World Cup finals contested this season, plus a World Championships title, and just two rounds remaining before the close of the northern hemisphere year, Pullin has extended his lead over nearest rival, Austrian Markus Schairer, to 1150 points.

The win, which heightens the gloss to a bright season for a number of other Australian wintersport athletes, is the third in Pullin’s World Cup career and is added to his defense of his World Championship title in January.

But it did not come without a battle with American Nate Holland, who finished in second place and young Spaniard Lucas Eguibar in third.

Holland, a veteran of five World Cup wins, two World Championship podiums and a list of X Games successes, seemed to find another gear as he flew past Pullin between turns three and four in the final.

Then the brilliance of the Australian kicked in and he was able to transform the situation into a win, with the two combatants crossing the line in a nail-biting photo finish.

Pullin said that his fighting spirit, which he has displayed all season, is one of the features that he is most proud of this year.

“It is really tough to get through to the final that decides the podium,” Pullin said.

“That’s something I’m really proud of this season. It’s easy to feel tired, mentally, but I keep pushing myself to the limit where everything is on the line.

“I got away with my best start today and that allowed me to get out and get clean and race down to turn three when Nick Holland made a really good pass with extra speed into turn four but having seen that happen before and executed that pass myself earlier, I knew where he was going to end up.

“I stuck right on his tail and in the final two jumps I put the hammer down and attacked hard. It paid off.

"As we crossed the line, I threw my board out in front and had the win.

“It was racing at its best and it was really cool to finish the day like that with everything coming down to the line. It feels like such a good victory. It was challenging and enjoyable.

“The photo finish shows that the sport is increasingly challenging to win, even heats right through to the final. They’re all really tight to win.”

Statistically, Pullin needs to finish the year with the number one ranking to equal his all-conquering 2010/2011 season, when he won the first of his two World Championships and the Crystal Globe, but irrespective of whether that occurs, he is adamant that this season has been the best of his glittering career.

“I would say that this season is my best. Whether I get the Crystal Globe or not, this has been my best as far as racing, the best with performances in heats, because the sport is getting more challenging to win.

“In this time and being an Olympic year this has been the best season I could have wished for. Making finals all the way through, normally you would not see that, even with World Cup leaders.

“This has been one of those seasons where you have had to put down those performances. I have been the only one to do that so far. I have been in finals at every event and I feel proud and strong with that. So far I couldn’t ask for more.

“We have rivalries like the Vettels and the Jenson Buttons in Formula One and the Rossis and the Casey Stoners. We’ve got that going on this tour. It’s really fun. It pushes me and my riding at every competition.

“You need to go out and put down your best performance at every single event.”

In other results with Australians, NSW Institute of Sport rider Cam Bolton qualified for the finals also, finishing in 35th place while in the women’s draw, world number eight and NSWIS athlete Belle Brockhoff was 11th, making it through to the consolation final.

Olympic halfpipe Champion Torah Bright finished in 20th place, after making her first career appearance in snowboard cross head to head finals racing at the World Cup level.

Bolton’s first top 10 finish

Win puts Pullin on top of the world

Chumpy goes from strength to strength with another win

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