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Sun, Feb 17 2002 11:39 PM AEDT
Steven Bradbury wins gold for Australia (Getty Images)
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Bradbury gives Australia first Olympic gold
Brisbane skater Steven Bradbury has created history by becoming the first ever Australian to win a gold medal at the winter Olympics.
Bradbury took gold in the men's 1,000 metre short track event, beating the previous australian best of bronze set by Zali Steggall in Nagano in 1998.
In one of the most bizarre races in Olympic history, Bradbury was well back in fifth and last position going into the final turn before the finish line,
But the leading skater, American Apollo Anton Ono, was touched by the Chinese skater, who was in second place and attempting to pass.
Both skaters fell and the Korean and Canadian skaters behind them crashed into the leading pair and all four slid off the track leaving an open line for Bradbury, who pumped his arms in victory as he crossed the line.
The judges held a short deliberation and decided to let the result stand.
The American and Canadian managed to slither across the line to claim the minor medals.
Mixed feelings
Bradbury says the win has left him with mixed feelings.
"I obviously wasn't the best skater out there, but you know, that was my tactis when when I went into the race," he said.
"I was actualy shooting for a bronze and just trying to stay out of trouble at the back because there'd been so many crashes in the competition already.
"I was never expecting the whole field to go down and leave me the only one standing, but at the end of the day I won the race, and whether I was the best skater out there on the night doesn't matter 'because I won."
Bradbury said he couldn't believe it when the rest of the field crashed.
"I was sort of thinking there'd be a re-race or something like that," he said.
"You know that's the nature of the sport in short track, you take your highs and your lows.
"I've nearly been killed by the sport a couple of times so I guess this is the day when everybody's smiling on me.
"This is my fourth Olympics and I've walked away unhappy from the previous three, and that's definitely not the case this time."
Medal contendors
Australia's female aerial freestyle skiers are also in medal contention at the Winter Olympics.
Twenty-seven-year-old Alisa Camplin and 20-year-old Lydia Ierodiaconou are in second and 10th place for Tuesday's final after today's qualifying round.
Camplin was beaten into second place by a world record score today and she doesn't plan on a cautious approach in the final by attempting two triple twisting double somersaults.
"It would be easy to do what I did today and go for maybe a little more relaxed approach but you know it's the Olympic final you have too step it up, you have to go for it," she said.
"It's my first Olympic Games and it's not about where you qualify in the semi, it is where you finish, so I guess I should go for maximum points that I can attain.
"You know I've never been to an Olympics so I didn't want to let it overwhelm me.
"I think that's why I didn't march in the opening ceremony. You know the spectacle and the largeness of it all was probably going to slap me in the face a bit so I'm just tryin to keep very calm and very relaxed and you know that's been my game plan all year and it worked today."
In the men's Super G today, Australia's Craig Branch finished 27th while A-J Bear was disqualified.
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