Steven Bradbury

Steven Bradbury , born the October 14th 1973 in Camden (agglomeration of Sydney), is a former skater speed on short track of nationality Australia.

Career

Bradbury is especially known for its memorable gold medal obtained in the test of the male 1000m to the Olympic Games of Salt Lake City in 2002.

In quarter-of-finale, Bradbury thought of being eliminated since it finished third of its series (the two first only were qualified) but the Canadian Marc Gagnon was disqualified. In semi-final, it was outdistanced when a fixing made fall several candidates, which opened the way of the finale to him. Steven Bradbury profited then from the same scenario during the final since the four other finalists (Apolo Anton Ohno, Ahn Hyun-Soo, Li Jiajun and Mathieu Turcotte) fell in the last turn. Bradbury being outdistanced once again, it could avoid the accident and crosses the line only, the raised arms and the air incrédule. He then became the first Olympic champion of winter originating in a country of the southern hemisphere (preceding only one day Australian the Alisa Camplin).

It should be noted that the fact of being remained in withdrawal of the favorites finally was not only one proof a lower speed on behalf of Bradbury. It was also about a deliberated tactic, worked out with its coach Ann Zhang and the British skater Nicky Gooch, in order to learn the lessons from the semi-final. Being indeed conscious of not having the level sufficient for truly fighting against the favorites, Bradbury exaggerated its relative slowness in order to hang a possible podium if two competitors were obstructed (what is very current out of shorts-track). It was on the other hand far from imagining that all were going to fall!

In an interview granted after its medal, he announced that he was obviously not the fastest skater but that this medal rewarded its hard career more than the race which he had just gained. Indeed he survived two very serious accidents. In 1994, at the time of a race, the shoe of another competitor sliced the leg to him during a collision; it lost 4 liters of blood (whereas on average the human body contains 6 liters of them!). Doctors announced that the fact of even remaining in life after that held almost of the miracle. Then, in 2000, Bradbury broke the neck at the time of a drive and spent 6 weeks with a minerve. There still of the doctors said that such an accident could have handicapped it with life but Bradbury took again then the competition.

Let us note that Bradbury had already gained an Olympic medal in 1994 with Lillehammer, within the shift team 5000m which had gained bronze, medal which also remains it in the historical shelves as being the first Australian medal in Winter Olympics.

Its career was also enriched by a championship of the world out of relay 5000m in 1991 like one of money in 1994 and bronze in 1993 at the same distance. It also accepted in 2002 the Gift Award, distinction of the Sport Australia Hall off Famed which rewards each year the Australian sporting personality which influenced the nation the most. Bradbury took its sporting retirement after its victorious Olympic Games.

Anecdote

The Olympic victory of Steven Bradbury returned in the Australian popular speech with the expression " doing has Bradbury" who means accidental or very unexpected victory. It was in particular used little time after the victory of Bradbury when Mark Webber finishes the first race of Formule 1 of its career in the fifth place (thus with 2 points) with the Grand Prix of Melbourne 2002, profiting from a series of accidents and abandonments which enabled him to place its Minardi whereas this stable is generally known to finish the races, even the season, bredouille.

See too

External bonds

"Bradbury still enjoying the race off his life" (English article)
Biography in English (Australian Olympic committee)

Biography

Gary Smart and Steven Bradbury, Steven Bradbury: Last Man Standing , 2005. ISBN 0975728784 ----

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