IN what can only be described as a roller-coaster of emotions for both athletes and Australian spectators, the women’s snowboard cross delivered everything expect the knockout punch.
Australia’s Belle Brockhoff valiantly made the final four only to struggle out of the start gate and unable to catch the leading three, never threatened a podium position.
As spectators we can’t be critical for Brockhoff not achieving the result we had hoped for in what looked so promising prior to the final. But the whole day Brockhoff, a dedicated athlete, showed an enormous determination to claw back when her day was about to end.
Having had a slow first qualifying time and staring elimination in the face, Brockhoff, who admitted the day prior she had struggled with her emotions showed grit to produce a faster second qualifying time and ensure a final 16 position.
In the quarter final she was gone for all money, adrift behind her fellow competitors in what seemed a bridge too far to reach. But just when it looked doom and gloom, bang, she was there in the mix and produced a stunning and unbelievable comeback to pass two rivals into second position and reach the semi-final.
Her semi-final was following the script, stay in the top two and you have cemented your berth in the final. Drafting the French rider Julia Pereira de Sousa in what appeared to be smooth sailing, Brockhoff’s games must have been flashing past her eyes when the French rider drifted and clipped the front of Brockhoff’s board. It was au revoir for France and lucky for Australia Brockhoff continued to stay upright and make the final. Any other day they would have both fell.
The fairy-tale did not continue though, and afterwards Brockhoff explained that the start position on the far side of the course did not suit her stance, and she was fighting on her toe edge immediately.
The heartbreaking result was a fourth place in the Winter Olympic final where in your dreams you only factored in the top three.
It would be the second Winter Olympic games her campaign would end in tears. But with outpouring of emotion from the Australian public, she will reflect back and realise she represented Australia proudly and with true aussie grit.
