Aussie snowboarders guided by spirit of Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin ahead of Thursday medal push

Australia’s snowboarders will be guided by the spirit of a beloved mentor as they push for more medal success in Beijing on Thursday.

Tess Coady performs a trick during the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Final on Day 2 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Genting Snow Park. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Australia’s Olympic snowboarders are back in action on Thursday and looking to the spirit of beloved mentor Alex “Chumpy” Pullin to guide them to more medal success.

Four of our snowboarders will hit the slopes at the Genting Snow Park P & X Stadium on day six of the Winter games, including triple Olympian Cameron Bolton, PyeongChang silver medallist Jarryd Hughes, as well as Adam Dickson and Adam Lambert.

All will be in the men’s snowboard cross qualifying from 2.15pm AEDT.

The men’s snowboard cross final takes place 5pm AEDT.

The 32-year-old Pullin drowned during a spearfishing accident on the Gold Coast, passing out underwater after suffering a shallow water blackout. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Snowboard cross was, of course, the scene of Australia’s first medal of the games, with 21-year-old Victorian Tess Coady claiming bronze in the event on Sunday.

Poignantly, it is the first games since the July 2020 death of Australian snowboard legend “Chumpy” Pullin, something that has not been lost on his younger charges.

The 32-year-old Pullin drowned during a spearfishing accident on the Gold Coast, passing out underwater after suffering a shallow water blackout.

The passing of Australia’s 2014 Winter Olympics flag-bearer sent shockwaves through the sport, with the popular athlete clearly in the hearts and minds of the team in China.

Tess Coady winning Bronze in the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Final on Day 2 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images

“He obviously meant a lot to a whole lot of people and to the winter community in Australia as a whole,” Pullin’s close mate Bolton told reporters this week.

“I think that this team that we have here in Beijing is still so heavily affected by Chumpy, but in a positive way.

“Everyone has had so much positive interaction with Chumpy, had so much advice, so much knowledge shared.

“A lot of what Chumpy stood for and what he was about is very much still alive here in 2022 and I think it‘s helping the team.

“I think he‘s still a large part of the everything that this team is striving towards and hoping to achieve.”

Coady meanwhile had already been on record declaring that Pullin was her “hero”.

Australia’s Olympic snowboarders are back in action on Thursday and looking to the spirit of beloved mentor Alex “Chumpy” Pullin to guide them to more medal success. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“He was always my hero growing up in the sport, I loved watching him ride and he is a true legend in Australian sport,” the 21-year-old said in the wake of his death.

“He really shaped my snowboarding career and I am confident saying I would never be where I am without him, so I have been really lucky to have him in my life.

“Even after I moved away from snowboard cross he always kept supporting me. It was so tragic when we lost Chumpy and it affected me quite a lot because he has been my number one role model forever.”

Other Australians in action on Thursday include Jessica Yeaton and Casey Wright in the women’s cross-country skiing 10km classic at 6pm AEDT and Brendan Kerry in the men’s figure skating (free skate).

Nick Timmings is also in the men’s skeleton heats.

Skier Jakara Anthony on Sunday claimed gold for Australia in women’s freestyle moguls.