Bronzed Aussie in Austria

NSWIS snowboarder Alex Fitch has created history by winning Australia’s first Winter Youth Olympics medal, a bronze in the women’s snowboard slopestyle in Austria.

Fitch’s first run in the event, where riders navigate a course and perform tricks on rails and off jumps, scored an impressive 69.75 points leaving her in third position. The 16 year old could only manage 42.50 points on her second run, but with the positions staying the same Fitch was assured of the gold medal, Australia’s first at the Winter Youth Olympics.

“It’s amazing!” Fitch said of her Innsbruck 2012 medal performance. “I’m so proud. It is so good to finally get on the podium and represent Australia.”

Elsewhere at the Games, fellow NSWIS athlete Lucy Glanville finished 31st in the sprint cross country event, a few spots better than her 34th place finish in the women’s 10km cross country only days earlier.