Australian rider Alex Pullin has claimed the second best result of his short career, finishing in fourth place in a World Cup snowboard cross event in Arosa, Switzerland. Pullin qualified in eighth place in the timed elimination round, then fought his way through three head-to-head rounds to make the final four.
Australian rider Alex Pullin has claimed the second best result of his short career, finishing in fourth place in a World Cup snowboard cross event in Arosa, Switzerland.
Pullin qualified in eighth place in the timed elimination round, then fought his way through three head-to-head rounds to make the final four.
Up against a strong group in the final which included 2006 Olympic champion Seth Westcott, the 21-year-old OWI/AIS scholarship athlete was unable to make the passing move he needed to put him onto the podium.
But the result was the second best result of the Mansfield rider’s 15-event career behind the bronze he won last season in Gujo Gifu, Japan.
Team-mate Damon Hayler, who had qualified in fifth place, was eliminated in the opening round of the head-to-head finals.
Westcott went on to take the victory, his first on World Cup.
“I’m very happy to make it into the final,” Pullin said. “It was pretty tough today, with falling snow and poor visibility.”
“Obviously I would have preferred to make it onto the podium, but given how strong the competition was, I have to be happy with that result.”
“I’m feeling pretty stoked with it. It was a good result for the second event of the season, and it keeps my world ranking high.”
“I’m looking forward to a break and then the first World Cup next year.”
OWI/AIS Head Snowboard Coach Ben Wordsworth was also happy with his athletes’ performances.
“Chumpy (Pullin) was riding well all week,” he said.
“He rode extremely exceptionally well today and put together some key moves on the world number one (Stian Sivertzen) and other riders from the world’s top five to make it into the final.”
“Damon, unfortunately, didn’t make it past the first round of the finals. He started well and was three board lengths in front coming into the final rollers but caught an edge and went down.”
“But he had qualified really well again in fifth position after finishing in second place in qualifying in the opening event of the season.”
Ski and Snowboard Australia rider Charles Ferry finished in 59th place, while in the women’s event, Stephanie Hickey placed 32nd.
Pullin now sits in ninth place on the World Cup standings on 528 points, while Hayler is in 16th position on 420 points. Sivertzen leads the World Cup race on 1200 points.
The Australian Institute of Sport team now takes two weeks off over Christmas, returning to action in the Bad Gastein World Cup on January 10.
Alpine snowboard rider Joh Shaw competes in Arosa tonight in parallel slalom.