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Alex Pullin

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Alex Pullin
Pullin in 2010
Personal information
NicknameChumpy
Born(1987-09-20)20 September 1987
Mansfield, Victoria, Australia
Died8 July 2020(2020-07-08) (aged 32)
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Height185 cm (6 ft 1 in) (2014)[1]
Weight87 kg (192 lb) (2014)
Life partnerEllidy Pullin
Children1 Minnie Pullin
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportSnowboarding
EventSnowboard Cross Men
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking2nd
Medal record
Men's snowboarding
Representing  Australia
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 La Molina Snowboard cross
Gold medal – first place 2013 Stoneham Snowboard cross
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Sierra Nevada Snowboard cross
Winter X Games
Silver medal – second place 2016 Aspen Snowboard cross
New Zealand Winter Games
Gold medal – first place 2011 Cardrona Snowboard cross
Updated on 31 January 2016

Alex Pullin (20 September 1987 – 8 July 2020), nicknamed Chumpy,[2][3] was an Australian snowboarder who competed at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics.[4] He was a two-time snowboard cross (boardercross) world champion.[2]

Early life

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Pullin was born on 20 September 1987 in Mansfield, Victoria.[2] He started snowboarding at a young age, and came to prefer snowboard cross, because he considered it "the most pure form of competition".[2] His parents owned a ski hire shop.[5]

Career

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Pullin competed for Australia at the 2010 Winter Olympics in snowboard cross (boardercross). He had the fastest qualifying time (1:20.15) in his event,[6] but was eliminated in the first round of competition, finishing in 17th place by virtue of his qualifying time.[7]

Pullin was the flag bearer for the Australian Winter Olympic team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia,[3][8] and competed in the men's snowboard cross. One of the favourites in that event, Pullin was eliminated in the quarterfinals.[1][9] The Australian government had given Pullin $500,000 in funding for the event, more than any other Australian competitor.[10] At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Pullin again competed in the Men's Snowboard Cross and came in sixth place, having crashed out during the final race.[11] He was the number one ranked competitor in the event according to the world rankings prior to the Games.[12] Fellow Australian Jarryd Hughes came second at the event, but Pullin did not congratulate him due to a personal feud between them.[13]

Aside from the Olympics, Pullin began competing in the Winter X Games in 2008. He won a silver medal in the 2016 event in Aspen, Colorado, United States.[11][14] He won the snowboard cross events at the 2011 and 2013 FIS Snowboarding World Championships,[15] making him the first Australian to defend a Snowboarding World Championships title.[16] Pullin also won the overall snowboard cross title in the 2010–11 FIS Snowboard World Cup and the 2012–13 FIS Snowboard World Cup.[17] In 2011, he won a gold medal at the New Zealand Winter Games.[16]

In 2011, he became an ambassador for Suzuki Australia as part of a sponsorship with the vehicle manufacturer.[18] Outside of snowboarding, Pullin fronted a reggae band called Love Charli.[19]

In 2020, Pullin announced his retirement from the sport.[20]

Death

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On 8 July 2020, Pullin drowned on the Gold Coast in Queensland, at the age of 32.[21] He was believed to have been spearfishing by himself at an artificial reef off Palm Beach.[21][22] Pullin's body was spotted on the ocean floor by a snorkeler.[21] Lifeguards attempted to resuscitate him using cardiopulmonary resuscitation for 45–50 minutes, but he did not recover.[21]

On 25 October 2021, fifteen months after Pullin's death, his partner Ellidy Pullin gave birth to their daughter, conceived by in vitro fertilisation.[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Alex Chumpy Pullin". sochi2014.olympics.com.au. Australian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Bilton, Dean (8 July 2020). "Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin, dead at 32, led a life from the foot of Mt Buller to the top of the world". ABC News. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b Brown, Matt (6 February 2014). "Pullin announced as Australia's Sochi flag bearer". ABC News Sport. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Alex Pullin: Australian world-champion snowboarder dies". BBC News. 8 July 2020. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Vale 'Chumpy' Pullin, snowboarder supreme". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics | Olympic Video Medals News". Vancouver2010.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  7. ^ "Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics | Olympic Video Medals News". Vancouver2010.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  8. ^ Guy, Jack (8 July 2020). "Two-time world champion snowboarder Alex Pullin dies in spearfishing accident". CNN. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  9. ^ "No luck for Aussie men in Snowboard Cross | Sochi 2014". Sochi2014.olympics.com.au. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  10. ^ "Sochi Games: Did Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin deliver enough bang for the taxpayer buck?". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Winter Olympics: Jarryd Hughes wins silver for Australia in Pyeongchang snowboard cross final". ABC News. 15 February 2018. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Winter Olympics 2018: The top 10 Australian athletes to watch". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 February 2018. Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Jarryd Hughes's Olympic silver shines light on Australian team rift". The Guardian. 16 February 2018. Archived from the original on 8 June 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  14. ^ "Jarryd Hughes takes out gold at X-Games". Special Broadcasting Service. 1 February 2016. Archived from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  15. ^ "Australian snowboarding world champion Alex Pullin dies while spearfishing in Queensland". The Daily Telegraph. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin: The humble face of Aussie winter sports taken away far too soon". Fox Sports. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  17. ^ "PULLIN Alex - Athlete Information". www.fis-ski.com. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  18. ^ Alex Pullin Pro Snowboarder/Musician. "Alex Pullin Profile – Competition History". Espn.go.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  19. ^ Winter Olympics: Big hopes on the slopes Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Qantas Travel Insider, February 2010.
  20. ^ "Alex Pullin death: World champion snowboarder dies aged 32". The Independent. 8 July 2020. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  21. ^ a b c d "Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin, Australian Olympic snowboarder, dies in spearfishing accident at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast". ABC News. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  22. ^ "Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin dead: Champion snowboarder found unresponsive after drowning off Palm Beach". Nine News. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  23. ^ "Minnie Alex Pullin makes her entrance, as Olympian's widow welcomes 'a little piece of Chumpy'". ABC News. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
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Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for  Australia
Sochi 2014 		Succeeded by
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