Ben Tudhope Wins Silver, Delivers Australia’s First Medal at Winter Paralympics
Ben Tudhope won a silver medal in the men’s SB-LL2 snowboard cross, overcoming a dislocated right shoulder to claim Australia’s first medal at the Winter Paralympics. Sunday at 2: 30 p. m. ET, ben tudhope’s finish matters because it upgrades his Beijing bronze to silver and anchors Australia’s early medal hunt in Cortina.
Ben Tudhope’s Silver Comes After Dislocated Shoulder
Tudhope revealed his right shoulder popped out after he won his men’s SB-LL2 quarter-final heat, pulling out of the start gate. With his right shoulder strapped after that quarter-final, the 26-year-old won his semi-final to roar into the medal race and then trailed Emanuel Perathoner by 2. 14 seconds for silver in the final.
Emanuel Perathoner’s Form and Recovery Shaped the Final
Italian rival Emanuel Perathoner finished first, entering his first Paralympics after winning nine of 10 World Cup races this year. Perathoner made his Paralympics debut five years after a serious left-leg injury that required four surgeries and a full knee replacement; he is also a two-time Winter Olympian.
Tudhope Celebrates With Family, Reflects on Low Expectations
For ben tudhope, the medal felt surreal: “I can’t really describe it. It hasn’t really sunk in yet, ” he said, adding that he “scraped in to get through to the semi-finals and then the final. ” He also noted, “My shoulder actually popped out in that first heat, pulling out of the start gate. It doesn’t hurt — and to actually go through the process of going, ‘oh, my God, I have this injury’, but then being able to get this medal is insane. “
Tudhope started the event as the second seed behind Perathoner and had aimed to join Simon Patmore as one of the only Australians to win Paralympic snowboard cross gold; Patmore won gold at the 2018 PyeongChang Games in the SB-UL event. Tudhope enjoyed a cheer squad of up to 30 people, including his parents Melissa and Andrew, as Lee Jeyhuk of South Korea took bronze this time.
Closing: Next snowboard cross medal races are scheduled Monday at 11: 00 a. m. ET.
