Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nationality | Australian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | 13 December 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Para-snowboarding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Disability class | SB-LL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Ben Tudhope (born 13 December 1999) is an Australian Paralympian who has competed in para-snowboard cross at three Winter Paralympics 2014 to 2022. His selection at the age of 14 at the 2014 Winter Paralympics meant that he became Australia's youngest Winter Paralympian, replacing Michael Milton. He was the youngest competitor at the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games from any country. He also competed at the 2018 Winter Paralympics. At the 2022 Winter Paralympics, he won the bronze medal in the Men's Snowboard Cross SB-LL2. [1]
Ben Tudhope was born with cerebral palsy due to a lack of oxygen to the brain during his birth and damage caused to the white matter in his brain, which caused hemiplegia on the left side of his body and damage connecting nerve tissue vital for movement. [2] [3] He lives in Manly, a suburb of Sydney, and attended the Sydney Church of England Grammar School. [4] He has undertaken a Bachelor of Management – Sport Business at the University of Technology Sydney. [5]
Tudhope's older sister Annabel introduced him to snowboarding in 2009. [4] Annabel has competed on the World Snowboard Tour, and his other sister Phoebe has competed for Australia in mogul skiing. [5] His Winter Paralympics path began in 2011 when Peter Baff, the head coach of Perisher's Winter Sports Club alerted Peter Higgins, Australia's Paralympic snowboard team head coach, of his ability even though he was not tall. [3]
In 2014, Tudhope was 150 centimetres (4 ft 11 in) tall, and his French-made snowboard is 141 centimetres (56 in) long. Ben competed in the 2013 European Cup to qualify for the 2014 Winter Paralympics. Due to his age, his mother Melissa has accompanied him to overseas competitions. [3] He trains at Perisher Ski Resort, and undertakes dryland training at Monster Skatepark in the Sydney suburb of Homebush. [6] In 2013, he was an Amelia McGuiness Australian Snowsports Development Foundation scholarship holder. [7]
Tudhope's selection for the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi at the age of 14 meant that he became Australia's youngest Winter Paralympian, replacing Mitchell Gourley. [4]
He was the youngest competitor at the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games from any country. [8] He finished 10th out of 33 competitors in the Men's Para-snowboard Cross, and was chosen to carry the Australian flag at the closing ceremony. [8]
In 2017, Tudhope became part of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program which included him being mentored by former Australian rugby union captain Nick Farr-Jones. [9]
At the 2018 Winter Paralympics, Tudhope finished seventh in the banked slalom SB-LL2 and tenth in the snowboard cross SB-LL2. [10] [11]
At the 2019 World Para Snowboard Championships, Pyha, Finland, Tudhope won the silver medal in Men's Snowboard Cross LL2 and finished fourth in the Men's Banked Slalom LL2. [12]
Tudhope won the silver medal in the men's snowboard cross SB-LL2 and bronze medal in the men's dual banked slalom SB-LL2 event at the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships held in Lillehammer, Norway. [13] [14] [15]
At the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, Tudhope won the bronze medal in the men's snowboard cross SB-LL2 and finished ninth in the men's snowboard banked slalom SB-LL2 event. [16] [17]
Tudehope won the gold medal in the Men's Snowboard Cross SB-LL2 and bronze medal in the Men's Dual Banked Snowboard SB-LL2 at the 2023 World Para Snowboard Championships held at La Molina. [18]
At the end of the 2023/2024 season, Tudhope was second on the overall banked slalom and cross standings. He was second on the Para Snowboard Overall World Cup standings. [19]
Michael John Milton, OAM is an Australian Paralympic skier, Paralympic cyclist and paratriathlete with one leg. With 6 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals he is the most successful Australian Paralympic athlete in the Winter Games.
Para-snowboarding classification is the classification system for para-snowboarding. The sport originally called Adaptive Snowboard is now practiced by hundreds of athletes around the world. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) defines three classes: SB-LL for athletes with a physical impairment affecting one or both legs, and SB-UL for athletes with a physical impairment affecting one or both arms who compete standing. The sport made its official Winter Paralympic debut in the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia.
Melissa Perrine is a B2 classified visually impaired para-alpine skier from Australia. She has competed at the four Winter Paralympics from 2010 to 2022. At the 2015 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, she won three gold, one silver and one bronze medals. At the 2018 Winter Paralympics, she won two bronze medals.
Mitchell Gourley is an Australian Paralympic alpine skier who competed for Australia in the downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and super combined events at four Winter Paralympics - 2010 to 2022. He was Australian team co-captain with Joany Badenhorst at the 2018 Winter Paralympics. At the 2022 Winter Paralympics, he and Melissa Perrine carried the Australian flag in the opening ceremony. At the 2017 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Tarvisio, Italy he won the gold medal in the men's Super Combined Standing.
Australia sent nine competitors to the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. The delegation also consisted of two sighted guides and 15 support staff. The team won two bronze medals. Toby Kane won a bronze medal in the men's Super combined standing, and Jessica Gallagher and guide Christian Geiger won one in the women's giant slalom visually impaired event.
Joany Badenhorst is a South African-born Australian Paralympian who was selected to compete in Para-snowboard cross at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi. She would have been the first female snowboarder to represent Australia at the Winter Paralympics, but was forced to withdraw from her event after injuring her left knee on the morning of the event. In February 2018, she was selected in the Australian team to compete at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
Christian Geiger is an Australian Alpine skier, Paralympic alpine ski coach and sighted guide for visually impaired skiers. He was Jessica Gallagher's guide skier at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, winning a bronze medal. He represented Australia at the 2008 World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships and the 2009 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, but his career was cut short when he was severely injured in a traffic collision in 2009. He became Jessica Gallagher's sighted guide in 2013, and guided her to silver medals in women's slalom and giant slalom at the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup in Thredbo. Geiger was Melissa Perrine's guide and coach at the 2018 Winter Paralympics where she won two bronze medals.
Carl Murphy is a New Zealand Para-snowboard cross racer who competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics.
The Snowboarding competition of the 2018 Winter Paralympics was held on 12 and 16 March 2018 at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre in Gangneung, South Korea.
Owen Pick is a British war veteran and snowboarder. Pick was injured in 2010 while serving in Afghanistan, losing his right leg. As part of his rehabilitation he was encouraged to try various sports. He subsequently found success in world para-snowboarding events, including representing his country in the Winter Olympics in his sport and as a flag bearer.
Brenna Huckaby is an American snowboarder. She competed at the 2018 Winter Paralympics, winning gold medals in the snowboard cross and banked slalom, and she won gold and a bronze medal at the 2022 Winter Paralympics. She is the first Paralympian to appear in the Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated. Huckaby won the 2024 'Best Athlete with a Disability' ESPY Award.
Matti Suur-Hamari is a para-snowboarder. He is a three-time medalist, including two gold medals, at the Winter Paralympics.
Cécile Hernandez is a French para-snowboarder and four-time Paralympic medallist, with a gold medal from Beijing 2022, a silver medal from Sochi 2014 and both a silver and a bronze from PyeongChang 2018. She competes for the teams Les Angles and France Douanes, as well as the French national Paralympic team; outside sport, she is a customs officer journalist and writer.
Lisa Bunschoten is a Dutch para-snowboarder. She won a silver and a bronze medal in snowboarding at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
World Para Snowboard Championships, was played first time at 2015.
Lisa DeJong is a Canadian retired para-snowboarder who competed in the SB-LL2 category. She won Canada's first Winter Paralympic medal at the 2022 Winter Paralympics, and retired on October 10, 2023.
Renske van Beek is a Dutch para-snowboarder in the SB-LL2 category.
Oliver Hill is a British para-snowboarder and former motorcycle racer. He competes in snowboarding events for athletes with lower limb disabilities. Hill came third in the banked slalom events at the 2022 Winter Paralympics and 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships.
Sandrine Hamel is a Canadian para-snowboarder who competes in the SB-LL2 category.