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Torah Bright

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Torah Bright
Medal record
Women's snowboarding
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2010 Vancouver Halfpipe
X Games medal record
Gold medal – first place 2009 Aspen Superpipe
Gold medal – first place 2007 Aspen Superpipe
Silver medal – second place 2008 Aspen Superpipe
Silver medal – second place 2006 Aspen Superpipe

Torah Jane Bright (born December 27, 1986, Cooma, New South Wales) is an Australian snowboarder. She turned pro at age 14 and finished fifth in snowboarding at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. She trains in Salt Lake City, Utah. She won gold in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Personal life

Born to parents Peter and Marion Bright, Bright is the fourth of five siblings. Her parents named her Torah after Marion Bright learned the word meant “bearer of great message” in addition to referring to the five books of Moses. She grew up in Cooma, New South Wales, and attended Cooma North Primary School at the base of the Snowy Mountains, and initially started out as a downhill ski racer. Bright is engaged to American snowboarder Jake Welch, and they are getting married in Salt Lake City, Utah in June.[1]

Bright uses a goofy stance and is coached by brother Ben. Older sister Rowena competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Bright enjoys basketball and rollerblading. [citation needed]

Bright is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "For me it's just a way of life – I don't drink, smoke, drink tea or coffee, or have sex before marriage. I've never drunk or smoked but I'll go out to dance and stay up late and then drive home at the end of the night."[2]

Career

Bright finished 30th overall at the 2005 World Championships in Whistler, Canada and was runner up for the World Cup title during the 2003–04 season.

Bright entered only two World Cup events during the 2004–05 season, both in February at the 2006 Winter Olympic venue of Bardonecchia. She placed third in both events, qualifying for the Australian Olympic team.

In 2006, Bright earned a silver medal at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. She returned the following year, winning the gold medal in the women's superpipe event. She is the first Australian snowboarder to ever win gold at the Winter X Games (11), beating Winter Olympic medalists Gretchen Bleiler and Hannah Teter.

In 2007, Bright took first at the Nissan X-Trail Nippon Open in the women's halfpipe, giving her back-to-back wins in two consecutive competitions. At the 2007 World Super Pipe Championships in Park City, Utah, Bright won first place, beating 2002 Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark. In late 2007, she made the podium for both events in the Roxy Chicken Jam, the final event in the TTR (Ticket to Ride) Snowboard Tour, where she became the 2007 TTR world champion.[3]

In 2010, at the Winter Olympics at Vancouver, Bright was chosen to carry the flag for Australia at the opening ceremonies[4], and qualified for the number one spot for the final of the Women's half-pipe, despite suffering two concussions beforehand in training. Crashing out in her first run in the final, she had to go run first of the competitors in the second run. A successful run, she posted a score of 45.0 which remained the highest score through the second run; making her the fourth Australian to win a Winter Olympics Gold medal.

Sponsorships

Bright has a head-to-toe sponsorship with Roxy, the female-specific brand of Australian surfing company Quiksilver. For the 2008–2009 season, in 2008, she worked to expand her career into design, working on a new addition to the Roxy's women's line, dubbed the "Bright Series", which includes her snowboard, the Roxy Eminence.[5] Her other sponsors include Salomon and Boost Mobile.

Competition Results

2010

2009

2008

  • 2nd – TTR World Snowboard Tour 07/08
  • 1st – Superpipe – World Superpipe Championships – Park City, UT.
  • 2nd – Superpipe – EXPN Winter X Games 12 (Aspen)
  • 1st – Superpipe – Nippon Open Japan
  • 1st – Superpipe – Burton US Open, Vermont
  • Burton Global Open Champion

2007

  • Burton Global Open Champion
  • TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion 06/07
  • 1st – Halfpipe – Burton New Zealand Open
  • 4th – Slopestyle – Burton New Zealand Open
  • 2nd – Halfpipe – Roxy Chicken Jam (USA)
  • 3rd – Slopestyle – Roxy Chicken Jam (USA)
  • 2nd – Slopestyle – Burton US Open
  • 3rd – Halfpipe – Burton US Open
  • 1st – Superpipe – World Superpipe Championships
  • 1st – Halfpipe – X-Trail Nippon Open
  • 1st – Halfpipe – EXPN Winter X Games 11

2006

  • 1st – Halfpipe – US Open
  • 1st – Superpipe – World Superpipe Championships Park City, Utah.
  • 1st – Vans Cup

2005

  • 1st – Arctic Challenge, Tromsø, Norway
  • 2nd – US Open
  • 1st – Nippon Open
  • 3rd – FIS World Cup
  • 3rd – Slopestyle – Roxy Chicken Jam (USA)

2004

References

  1. ^ Morrell, Lucy (21 Jan, 2010). "Torah brightens parents' day". Cooma-Monaro Express. Retrieved 19 February 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Piers, Hernu (2009-04-11). "'I've never drunk or smoked', says champion snowboarder Torah Bright". Daily Mail (in English). UK: Associated Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 2009-05-06.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  3. ^ Torah Bright Discusses 2009 Roxy Snow Line[dead link]
  4. ^ Nicole, Jeffery (2010-02-13). "Torah Bright chosen to carry Australian flag in Vancouver". The Australian (in English). Australia: News Limited. Retrieved 2010-02-14.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  5. ^ "Torah's official TTR profile". Retrieved 2007-10-10.
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