Torah Bright breaks Australia’s medal duck at Sochi, winning silver in the women’s halfpipe

WATCH THE RUN: TORAH Bright has claimed silver for Australia, leaving it until her last run to post her medal-winning score.

THIS, to paraphrase a very famous political speech, was a victory for the true believers.

Immediately before Torah Bright’s flawless silver medal run, her coach and brother Ben, who is known for his lengthy gee-up speeches at the top of the pipe, had some uncharacteristically brief and simple words for his superstar sister.

“I just said, ‘I believe,’ and she said, ‘I believe too,’ and I was like, ‘Well, awesome,’” Bright said.

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Bright crashed on her first run of the ladies’ snowboard halfpipe final in Sochi overnight, just as she did at the Vancouver Olympics.

But in another echo of her triumph four years earlier, the Cooma-born 27-year-old pulled out a flawless run at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, falling an agonising 0.25 behind American Kaitlyn Farrington in the gold medal position.

News_Image_File: Torah Bright of Australia wins the silver medal during the snowboarding women's halfpipe at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.

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Bright scored 91.50 compared to the winner’s 91.75, with another American - Kelly Clark - third with 90.75.

In the proverbial blanket finish, Bright may have been unlucky to miss out on a second consecutive gold.

Not that she was worried about that.

“Well, I really don’t care because that happens in judged sports,” she said, with that trademark beaming smile on her face.

“It was kind of awesome to hear from my fellow shredders that are now here doing TV work. They were like, ‘Maybe you should have won.’

News_Rich_Media: All the highlights from the fifth day of Winter Olympics competition in Sochi, headlined by Torah Bright's silver medal in the women's snowboard halfpipe.

“But I don’t care about the colour of the medal, life isn’t about winning. It’s about putting your best foot forward, it’s about sharing your light and I’m happy, I’m so happy to be here.”

Bright now becomes Australia’s most successful female Winter Olympian, eclipsing aerial skier Alisa Camplin, who won gold and bronze in her decorated career.

Bright’s tally of one gold and one silver also puts her equal with mogul skier Dale Begg-Smith as Australia’s most successful Winter Olympian of either sex.

News_Image_File: Australia's Torah Bright competes during the women's snowboard halfpipe final at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.

She may yet add to that tally in her third event on Sunday, the women’s snowboard cross.

“I am so so excited about boarder cross, I am race ready,” she said.

This has been a difficult week for Bright.

Since touching down in Sochi, she and her brother Ben have been critical of the courses in Sochi.

First they took aim at the slopestyle course, where she said the jumps were too big.

Several competitors crashed in training and the jumps were later reduced in size, which appeared to prove the point.

Both Torah and Ben Bright then spent a fair part of this week arguing that the halfpipe had been amateurishly constructed.

Ben Bright directed a foul-mouthed tirade at the pipe’s builders, and Torah continued the crusade after winning silver, albeit in lighter tones.

News_Image_File: Gold medal winner Kaitlyn Farrington of the US, centre, celebrates with silver medallist Torah Bright, left, and bronze medallist Kelly Clark, also of the US.

“It was perhaps one of the hardest events I’ve ridden in, in a long time, it was just really challenging,” she said.

When asked why, she simply turned and pointed at the pipe.

“It’s the Olympics and the show will go down no matter what, but I think with all the riders being very unimpressed by the jumps and halfpipe, we need to take a stand,” she said.

Bright believes the company that constructs halfpipes at other major events should also do so at the Olympics, a situation that is not the case.

But the mood on this night wasn’t about crusading or complaining about what might have been. This was an evening of celebration, as a true global superstar savoured the fruits of four hard years of work.

News_Image_File: Australia's Torah Bright competes in the women's snowboard halfpipe final at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.

“When I finished the first run I was like, ‘Really? I did this again with my family and my friends watching? I put them through the wringer again? Why?’” the ever-smiling Bright said.

“This is for Australia, it’s for my family, it’s for my brother, it’s for everybody who takes joy from what I do.”

Bright also made special mention of her friends Andy and Neena, whose child Indira died earlier this week, prompting an emotional Facebook post from Bright.

“I hope Andy and Neena heard me say that I was shredding for Indira,” she said.

“But yeah, this medal is for everybody that has cared for me, that has helped me do my life.

News_Image_File: Silver medallist, Australia's Torah Bright.

“And Benny, I’ve got to give a shout out to Benny. Especially this past year, he has been such an incredible support to me, and although he has a foul mouth sometimes and really does just speak his mind, he is the most genuine, kind, good-hearted person.

“He has given so much to me and I love him, he’s my brother but he is a dear friend.”

Apart from the Bright family, the most relieved person on the mountain was Australian Olympic Committee chief and IOC vice president John Coates.

When Torah secured the medal that set Australia’s flagging Winter Olympics campaign back on track, Coates simply said, “That’s lovely.”

And it was.

It was a lovely night, with a hard-won medal to a truly lovely athlete.

FIRST AUSSIE MEDAL: Torah Bright wins SILVER in halfpipe final with a score of 91.50. Kaitlyn Farrington claims gold pic.twitter.com/mXwxcbcBoB

Medal for @TorahBright Congratulations. Flying the Flag for the Aussie #Torah @FOXSportsNews

A huge congratulations to @TorahBright for her amazing performance and silver in the #halfpipe. Awesome to watch @Sochi2014 @AUSOlympicTeam

We just won our 1st medal of #Sochi2014! @TorahBright you Champion! #GoAUS #TorahTime pic.twitter.com/Enx7zd3Yg4

Yeaahhh @TorahBright !!! Silver is yours!