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| Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin, Australian Olympian, drowns on Gold Coast | Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin, Australian Olympian, drowns on Gold Coast |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The two-time world snowboarding champion, 32, has died after he was pulled unconscious from the water at Palm Beach | The two-time world snowboarding champion, 32, has died after he was pulled unconscious from the water at Palm Beach |
| The Australian Olympian Alex “Chumpy” Pullin has drowned on the Gold Coast. | The Australian Olympian Alex “Chumpy” Pullin has drowned on the Gold Coast. |
| Police said the 32-year-old died after being pulled from the surf at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast. | Police said the 32-year-old died after being pulled from the surf at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast. |
| Pullin, who had been spearfishing, was dragged unconscious from the water about 10.40am on Wednesday, police said. | Pullin, who had been spearfishing, was dragged unconscious from the water about 10.40am on Wednesday, police said. |
| “Another diver was out there and located him on the sea floor and raised the attention of nearby surfers who sought lifeguards to bring him in,” an officer told reporters. | “Another diver was out there and located him on the sea floor and raised the attention of nearby surfers who sought lifeguards to bring him in,” an officer told reporters. |
| “He didn’t have an oxygen mask, we understand he was free diving and spearfishing out on the reef.” | “He didn’t have an oxygen mask, we understand he was free diving and spearfishing out on the reef.” |
| Lifeguards performed CPR but he was pronounced dead just before 11.15am. | Lifeguards performed CPR but he was pronounced dead just before 11.15am. |
| Pullin, a two-time world snowboarding champion, was the Australian flag-bearer at the 2014 Sochi winter Olympics. | Pullin, a two-time world snowboarding champion, was the Australian flag-bearer at the 2014 Sochi winter Olympics. |
| Snow Australia said the community was shocked and saddened by the triple Olympian’s passing. | Snow Australia said the community was shocked and saddened by the triple Olympian’s passing. |
| “Our deepest condolences are with Alex’s family, as well as his teammates and support staff,” the governing body said in a statement. | “Our deepest condolences are with Alex’s family, as well as his teammates and support staff,” the governing body said in a statement. |
| “Alex was a beloved member of the Snow Australia community and he will be dearly missed.” | “Alex was a beloved member of the Snow Australia community and he will be dearly missed.” |
| Olympic champion Steven Bradbury said Pullin would be badly missed. | Olympic champion Steven Bradbury said Pullin would be badly missed. |
| “The world will miss such a talented human and a double world champion without ego and without selfishness who is everyone’s best mate – which isn’t always the case with elite athletes,” Bradbury told news website InQueensland. | “The world will miss such a talented human and a double world champion without ego and without selfishness who is everyone’s best mate – which isn’t always the case with elite athletes,” Bradbury told news website InQueensland. |
| “He was bound to be a positive influence on winter sports into the future and will be sorely missed.” | “He was bound to be a positive influence on winter sports into the future and will be sorely missed.” |
| In an interview with Guardian Australia before the Sochi Games, Pullin talked of his passion for surfing and mountain-biking, and his love of summer, despite being a winter athlete. Reports said he was also a keen and experienced spearfisher. | In an interview with Guardian Australia before the Sochi Games, Pullin talked of his passion for surfing and mountain-biking, and his love of summer, despite being a winter athlete. Reports said he was also a keen and experienced spearfisher. |
| Friends, sporting stars and journalists who knew Pullin paid tribute on social media to his generous nature as well as his sporting achievements. | Friends, sporting stars and journalists who knew Pullin paid tribute on social media to his generous nature as well as his sporting achievements. |
| Ian Chesterman, the Australian team’s chef de mission for the 2020 Olympics, described Pullin as a natural leader, calling it an “an incredibly sad day”. | |
| “Chumpy was a champion bloke as well as being a champion athlete. He had great charisma that allowed him to be a natural leader,” Chesterman said. | |
| “His enthusiasm was infectious and his impact on Olympic sport can’t be overstated.” | |
| Former slalom ski world champion and independent MP Zali Stegall tweeted that it was a “very sad day for Aussie sport”. | |
| “We don’t get many athletes in winter sport of his standard,” Stegall wrote. | |
| Pullin was raised in the foothills of the Victorian Alps in Mansfield, the support town for the Mt Buller ski resort | |
| His parents owned and ran a ski shop in Mansfield and, according to his website, he learnt to ski at the age of three. | |
| He took up snowboarding when he was eight. |