Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin’s girlfriend on hand for support on frustrating day

ALEX Pullin’s sweetheart, Ellidy Vlug, was on hand to comfort the snowboarder as drama surrounded his tilt at an Olympic gold.

ALEX “Chumpy” Pullin’s sweetheart, Ellidy Vlug, was on hand to comfort Australia’s premier snowboarder Monday as drama surrounded his tilt at an Olympic gold medal in Sochi.

With bad weather delaying the eagerly waited snowboard cross race until Tuesday, Pullin was philosophical, saying “mother nature rules”.

“It’s a real shame because the atmosphere here was really good today and I felt really good,’’ he said, surrounded by his parents and girlfriend.

“It’s out of my control and I am here to give my absolute best … I haven’t raced so there plenty to be pumped about.”

Alex “Chumpy” Pullin’s model girlfriend Ellidy Vlug.

Vlug, 21, who has been dating Pullin for the past 18 months, arrived in Sochi on Sunday after a holiday in Italy.

A Narrabeen local on Sydney’s northern beaches, she met Pullin through the sister of Olympic snowboarder Nate Johnstone.

“We just hit it off the second we met,’’ Vlug, who works as a model, said. “He’s an amazing, sweet guy – we have a lot of the same interests.’’

“I’m not a snowboarder but we both love the beach and just being together.”

She said the couple had moved into a Dee Why apartment together in Sydney, 300 metres from the beach.

“It does suck when he’s away but it’s normally only a month at a time and when he’s home we’re together the whole time.’’

Snowboarder Alex Pullin, left, hugs his girlfriend Ellidy Vlug as his Olympic event is cancelled.

Pullin’s father, Chris Pullin, said it had been a pleasure to watch his son, a two-time world champion, achieve his goals on the snowboard circuit.

“All any parent ever wants for their children is to be happy – and he’s happy,’’ Mr Pullin said.

Pullin, 26, grew up above the family’s ski hire shop in Mansfield, near Mt Buller, in Victoria.

His mother, Sally, represented Australia as a skier.

“Snow was our business so it’s probably natural that Alex loved the snow,’’ Mr Pullin said.

The big race was also surrounded in controversy when Bruce Brockhoff, father of snowboarder Belle Brockhoff, sent out an explosive email saying Pullin had received $1 million in athlete funding while his daughter only received $38,000.

Olympic officials are outraged by the distraction and plan to release a detailed statement when the snowboard cross race is completed.

Since then, Mr Brockhoff has issued a humiliating apology for his attack on the champion snowboarder.