Para snowboarder Ben Tudhope dedicates world win to Matty Robinson, coach Mikko Wendelin
Strange omen before Australian snowboarder Ben Tudhope wins world title and dedicates victory to late mate and coach on day cyclist completes switch to snow for maiden crown.
Local Sport
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Paralympic snowboard star Ben Tudhope has raced off with a special victory dedicated to a late mate and coach after an omen pre-race and a rival crashed in sensational style at the world championships in Spain.
The 23-year-old northern beaches athlete is in the form of his career, capping an exceptional season of success with a world Para Snowboard cross crown in Spain on Sunday.
Tudhope, with five wins and a third from six World Cup races, last week was awarded the prestigious crystal globe.
On Sunday he added a world gold medal to his haul with his win over Italian Emanuel Perathoner and American Zach Miller, dedicating it to a late mate and coach.
“I cannot believe this - this is absolutely insane,” Tudhope said.
“I was sitting in second behind Perathoner and then he had a little bobble and went down.
“Nine years go my teammate died here, Matty Robinson. I saw two birds flying over today - one’s for him and one’s for my late coach Mikko Wendelin.
“He passed away in 2019 and I couldn’t have done it without them.’’
Victorian Robinson died from a cardiac arrest at age 28 in 2014 on a flight home from Spain where he was recovering from head and neck injuries sustained in a race crash.
Australia, Paralympic cycling and swimming star Amanda Reid completed her switch to winter sport with a maiden crown on Sunday.
The multiple world track champions and Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist beat Brenna Huckaby Clegg (USA) and Cecile Hernandez (FRA) for her world title in snowboard cross.
“It was really good. I came in just to have fun and enjoy my first world championships,” Reid said.
“I didn’t expect to walk away with that result at all, so I’m pretty excited.”
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