Australia has sent 60 athletes to Sochi for the Winter Games, making it our largest Winter Team in history, not to mention the first time an Australian Olympic Team has had more women (31) than men (29).
We may not be known for our snowy winters or skiing culture, but there are some stars in our team who are as normal as they are talented.
Torah Bright
The effervescent snowboarder, whose favoured events are snowboard slopestyle, halfpipe and snowboard cross, won our hearts at the Vancouver Olympics after she courageously recovered from a crash and serious concussion to go on and win gold. Her manner (unaffected and straight-talking) as well as her looks (blonde and beautiful) made her an instant national favourite and even though she is a defending champion she says has nothing to prove, declaring that she is relaxed and “having fun”.
Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin
Our Opening Ceremony flag-bearer is a medal contender for the snowboard cross, having dominated his sport for the last three years, winning two World Championships and being the event’s current world leader. Pullin grew up in the house above his parents’ rental store, Pullins Ski Hire, in the small Victorian town of Mansfield, below Mt Buller ski resort, and he is now apparently a globe-trotting videographer, musician, nature enthusiast and adventure-seeker. Oh, and a Cleo Bachelor of the Year.
Lydia Lassila
Sochi will be the reigning Olympic gold medallist and aerial skiing champion’s fourth Olympic Games. Following her performance in Vancouver, where she won gold in the freestyle aerial, she was inducted into the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame, awarded the prestigious The Don award which recognised her ‘ability to inspire’ as well as her achievements during 2010. Since then she has taken time out from her sport to have a baby boy, Kai, with her husband and former Finnish moguls skier Lauri Lassila. She is said to be hungry for back-to-back gold but keeping a level head, saying “I don’t have anything to prove other than I just want to achieve my own personal goals”.
Russ Henshaw
Our slopestyle skiing medal hopeful started competitive skiing at the age of five and won a silver medal at the 2011 Winter X Games XV in Aspen, Colorado. Slopestyle involves competitors performing tricks off jumps, rails and boxes in a purpose-built terrain park. The 23-year-old has already had a number of serious knee injuries and is one of only a small number of athletes from around the world, from any sport, competing at the highest level without an attached cruciate ligament.
Scotty James
This 19-year-old, who is competing in the snowboard halfpipe and snowboard slopestyle, has been dubbed the ‘Bieber of Sochi’ for his hair and rebellious attitude. He competed at the Vancouver Games at just 15 years old, making his highlight at the time eating at McDonald’s as much as he could. Now James has grown some 20cm and in January he secured the prized crystal globe as the best performer on the World Cup circuit in snowboard half-pipe.
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