The SBX Aussies Taking The Good With The Bad in Switzerland.

January 16th, 2010

With Snowboardcross (SBX), like many a sport, you need to take the good with the bad. Sometimes the results fall your way, and other times you are left wondering what could have been. The Australian competitors at the World Cup SBX event in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, mixed the good with the bad.

Australian Alex “Chumpy” Pullin has been building momentum during this World Cup season, and the Veysonnaz event was certainly not a step backwards in his Winter Olympic preparation. He won his first heat of the finals, and progressed into the quarterfinals. His quarterfinal was marred by a full field collision, one rider was injured and another disqualified, as a result Chumpy was declared second and moved into the semifinals. Unfortunately no one relayed this message, and while Chumpy was recovering from being knocked around, he realized he was in the semi final and had to scramble to make the start; Chumpy just missed the start narrowly, watching his competitors drop as he made the line. This pushed Chumpy into the ‘small final’ in which he won and placed him 5th overall for the event; his best result leading up to the games so far, and left most thinking about what could have been if there wasn’t this mix up.

Pierre Vaultier of France takes out the SBX World Cup event at Veysonnaz, Switzerland. Photo:: Vianney Thibaut/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

Fellow Australian Damon Hayler qualified for the finals, unfortunately just missing out on the quarterfinals finishing third in his heat behind multiple X games winner American Shawn Palmer and fellow American and eventual third place overall winner Nick Baumgarther. Damon’s result of 24th overall will be extra motivation going into the next and final World Cup before the Vancouver games.

Frenchman Pierre Vaultier extended his World Cup points lead with another win for the season, again dominating the men’s event. German David Speiser took second place, while American Nick Baumgarther tightened up the race for the USA Olympic snowboard team by finishing third.

In the women’s event it was Norweigan Helene Olafsen who improved on her second place from the previous Bad Gastein event with the win over Canadian duo Dominique Maltais (2nd) and Maelle Ricker (3rd). These three riders are also the three riders leading the women’s World Cup SBX standings with Maelle in first, Dominique in second and Helene in third.

Australia’s lone female SBX competitor Stephanie Hickey finished 27th overall and has unofficially secured herself a spot at the Vancouver Winter Olympics and a place on Australian Winter Olympic snowboard team. The Australian Snowboard team will be announced after January 18th 2010 and before the next World Cup event in Stoneham, Canada on the 20th of January.

Words: Paul Colby

Racing hard during the SBX World Cup at Veysonnaz, Switzerland. Photo:: Vianney Thibaut/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 LG FIS Snowboard World Cup
Veysonnaz, Switzerland – Jan. 15, 2010
Snowboardcross

Men

  1. Pierre Vaultier, FRA
  2. David Speiser, GER
  3. Nick Baumgartner, USA
  4. Francois Boivin, CAN
  5. Alex Pullin, AUS

Women

  1. Helene Olafsen, NOR
  2. Dominique Maltais, CAN
  3. Maelle Ricker, CAN
  4. Alexandra Jekova, BUL
  5. Tanja Frieden, SUI