Australian snowboarder (1987–2020)
Alex Pullin
Pullin in 2010
Nickname Chumpy Born (1987-09-20 ) 20 September 1987Mansfield, Victoria , AustraliaDied 8 July 2020(2020-07-08) (aged 32)Gold Coast, Queensland , Australia Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) (2014)[ 1] Weight 87 kg (192 lb) (2014) Life partner Ellidy Pullin Children 1 Minnie Pullin Country Australia Sport Snowboarding Event Snowboard Cross Men Highest world ranking 2nd 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
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
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
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
^ a b "Alex Chumpy Pullin" . sochi2014.olympics.com.au . Australian Olympic Committee . Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014 .
^ 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 .
^ 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 .
^ "Alex Pullin: Australian world-champion snowboarder dies" . BBC News . 8 July 2020. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020 .
^ "Vale 'Chumpy' Pullin, snowboarder supreme" . The Sydney Morning Herald . 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020 .
^ "Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics | Olympic Video Medals News" . Vancouver2010.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2014 .
^ "Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics | Olympic Video Medals News" . Vancouver2010.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2014 .
^ Guy, Jack (8 July 2020). "Two-time world champion snowboarder Alex Pullin dies in spearfishing accident" . CNN . Retrieved 9 July 2020 .
^ "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 .
^ "Sochi Games: Did Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin deliver enough bang for the taxpayer buck?" . The Sydney Morning Herald . 19 February 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2020 .
^ 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 .
^ "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 .
^ "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 .
^ "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 .
^ "Australian snowboarding world champion Alex Pullin dies while spearfishing in Queensland" . The Daily Telegraph . 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020 .
^ 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 .
^ "PULLIN Alex - Athlete Information" . www.fis-ski.com . Retrieved 8 July 2020 .
^ 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 .
^ Winter Olympics: Big hopes on the slopes Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine , Qantas Travel Insider, February 2010.
^ "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 .
^ 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 .
^ "Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin dead: Champion snowboarder found unresponsive after drowning off Palm Beach" . Nine News . 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020 .
^ "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 .
External links