Torah Bright won Australia's first World Cup halfpipe event, and added three other medals to finish second in the world in a season that had both highs and lows for Australia's snowboarders.
Torah Bright won Australia's first World Cup halfpipe event, and added three other medals to finish second in the world in a season that had both highs and lows for Australia's snowboarders. Holly Crawford recorded two top ten placings before being injured, and three of the men were in the top 15 at the World Cup final, with two in the top ten.
Torah Bright's performances in her first year on the circuit were remarkable, winning Australia's first World Cup halfpipe event – and the first in any snowboard discipline by an Australian woman – and finishing in second place on the World Cup standings despite competing in just five events. Her first medal, in Whistler in December, came two weeks before her 17th birthday.
OWI scholarship holder Holly Crawford
finished eighth in the opening event of the season in Valle Nevado, Chile, then followed that with a ninth placing in Stoneham Mountain before her season low, tearing her anterior cruciate ligament in training in mid-December.
Team-mates Sasha Ryzy and Frances Miller were also hit by injury, but they missed the entire World Cup season.
After mixed results in the early part of the season, the OWI men also had a standout event at the Olympic Test Event in Bardonecchia, Andrew Burton finishing in eighth place and Ben Mates in ninth, the first time two Australian men have made a World Cup halfpipe final, and the first top ten placings for both men.
Third member of the team, Mitchell Allan, was 15th. Mitchell, who is only 16 years of age, had another top 20 result in the second World Cup of his career, in Stoneham Mountain, Canada.
Skiing Australia athlete Jo Shaw collected her first top 20 results during the past season in a solid second year on the World Cup circuit. Jo finished 19th in snowboard cross in Arosa, Switzerland, then backed up with a 20th place, again in snowboard cross, in Berchtesgaden, Germany.
She ended the year ranked 38th in snowboard cross, a discipline that will be included on the Olympic program for the first time at Torino 2006.
Torah Bright's performances in her first year on the circuit were remarkable, winning Australia's first World Cup halfpipe event – and the first in any snowboard discipline by an Australian woman – and finishing in second place on the World Cup standings despite competing in just five events. Her first medal, in Whistler in December, came two weeks before her 17th birthday.
OWI scholarship holder Holly Crawford
finished eighth in the opening event of the season in Valle Nevado, Chile, then followed that with a ninth placing in Stoneham Mountain before her season low, tearing her anterior cruciate ligament in training in mid-December.
Team-mates Sasha Ryzy and Frances Miller were also hit by injury, but they missed the entire World Cup season.
After mixed results in the early part of the season, the OWI men also had a standout event at the Olympic Test Event in Bardonecchia, Andrew Burton finishing in eighth place and Ben Mates in ninth, the first time two Australian men have made a World Cup halfpipe final, and the first top ten placings for both men.
Third member of the team, Mitchell Allan, was 15th. Mitchell, who is only 16 years of age, had another top 20 result in the second World Cup of his career, in Stoneham Mountain, Canada.
Skiing Australia athlete Jo Shaw collected her first top 20 results during the past season in a solid second year on the World Cup circuit. Jo finished 19th in snowboard cross in Arosa, Switzerland, then backed up with a 20th place, again in snowboard cross, in Berchtesgaden, Germany.
She ended the year ranked 38th in snowboard cross, a discipline that will be included on the Olympic program for the first time at Torino 2006.
