| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality |  Australia | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 22 March 1991 | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Para-snowboarding | ||||||||||||||
| Disability class | SB-UL | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Sean Pollard (born March 22, 1991) is an Australian Paralympian who represented Australia in para-snowboarding at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. [1]
On 2 October 2014, Pollard was attacked by two sharks (possibly great whites) whilst surfing at Kelpids Beach, east of Esperance, Western Australia. [2] [3] He lost his left arm and right hand whilst fighting off the sharks. [3] Before the attack he was an electrician, keen surfer and former South Bunbury footballer. [3] In March 2015, more than $100,000 was raised by his local community in Bunbury, Western Australia to assist him on his new journey. [4]
It was not until 2015 that Pollard encountered snow for the first time during a holiday in Canada. During the holiday, he tried snowboarding. After returning to Australia, he took part in an Australian Paralympic Committee specialist camp for Para-snowboarders with upper limb impairments. [1] Pollard has mentioned that his previous surfing and skating skils have helped his transition into snowboarding. [5]
In his first international season, he had several top 15 results including a sixth-place finish in the men's Snowboard Cross at the 2017 IPC Snowboard World Cup at Lake Tahoe, United States. [1] At the 2016/17 IPC World Cup Finals in PyeongChang, South Korea, Pollard finished eight in the snow board cross and banked slalom. [1]
At the 2018 Winter Paralympics, he competed in two snowboard events - fifth in the Men's Banked Slalom SB-UL and ninth in the Men's Snowboard Cross SB-UL. [6]
At the 2019 World Para Snowboard Championships, Pyha, Finland, Pollard won the bronze medal in Men's Snowboard Cross UL and finished seventh in the Men's Banked Slalom UL. [7]
Pollard did not compete at the 2022 Winter Paralympics as he decided to remain with his young family in Western Australia due to the States strict COVID travel restrictions. [8]
Simon Patmore, is an Australian Para-athletics and Para-snowboard competitor. He won a gold medal in the Men's 100m T46 at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, and bronze in the Men's 200m T46 at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. At the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games, Patmore won a gold medal in the Men's Snowboard Cross SB-UL and bronze in the Men's Banked Slalom SB-UL.
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.
Victoria "Tori" Pendergast is an Australian F58 athletics shot put competitor and LW12.1 classified Para-alpine skier. When she competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, she became Australia's first female sit skier at the Winter Paralympics. She competed in two events, finishing seventh in women's slalom sit-ski and tenth in the women's giant slalom sit-ski. She also won a silver and a bronze medal in the slalom and super-G at the 2013 North America Cup, and a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the 2013 IPC World Cup in Thredbo.
Ben Tudhope 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.
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.
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.
Japan sent competitors to the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The group from Japan competed in para-alpine skiing, para-Nordic skiing, para-snowboarding and sledge hockey.
Austria sent competitors the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Austria sent 13 people to compete in three sports: para-alpine skiing, para-snowboarding, and cross-country skiing.
Serbia sent competitors to the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. One person on the team is para-Nordic skier Milos Zaric. In addition to para-Nordic skier, Zaric is also a para-athlete. He is the world champion in the men's F55 javelin.
Spain sent competitors to the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The team from Spain had 4 people. They included 2 snowboarders and 2 skiers. Blind skier Jon Santacana and guide skier Miguel Galindo Garces competed at the Paralympics before in 2002, 2006, 2010 and the 2014. Astrid Fina Paredes went to the 2014 Winter Paralympics. Snowboarder Víctor González will be going to his first Paralympic Games.
The men's snowboard cross competition of the 2018 Winter Paralympics was held at Jeongseon Alpine Centre, South Korea. The competition took place on 12 March 2018.
James Barnes-Miller is a British snowboarder from Isle of Thanet. He competes in snowboarding events for athletes with upper limb disabilities after being born with an incomplete right arm. He participated at the 2018 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.
The men's banked slalom competition of the 2018 Winter Paralympics was held at Jeongseon Alpine Centre, South Korea. The competition took place on 16 March 2018.
Mike Minor is an American athlete, World Champion snowboarder, and a Paralympian who competed for the United States at the 2018 Winter Paralympics. He won gold in Snowboarding at the 2018 Winter Paralympics – Men's banked slalom and bronze in Men's snowboard cross division SB-UL. During his childhood, Minor was given a prosthetic part for his right arm. He started skiing at the age of two and snowboarding at the age of seven. He was nominated for the Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award in 2017.
Patrick Mayrhofer is Austria's most successful Paralympic Snowboarder. He won Silver in the Banked Slalom at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, Gold in the Banked Slalom at the 2015 World Para Snowboard World Championships in La Molina, Spain, and Silver in the Banked Slalom at the 2019 World Para Snowboard World Championships in Pyhä, Finland. In 2015 he was honored as the Paralympic Austrian Sports Personality of the Year.
