Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)/Olympic Winter Institute of Australia athlete Alex Pullin has become the first Australian to win gold in snowboarding at the FIS World Championships, with a superb performance at La Molina, Spain, on 18 January.

The 25-year-old Pullin had a flying start in the final of the men’s snowboard cross event, timing his run perfectly and leading a strong field all the way to victory. Pullin beat US dual Olympic champion Seth Wescott, who won in 2010 and 2006.

‘I’m so stoked. I hope this is a boost for all the kids back home thus building up a strong team for the future,’ Pullin said.

‘I was able to bring in the best I can. Man, everyone was able to win this. Everyone was hungry for the title. It’s just amazing that I did it.’

Pullin becomes only the sixth Australian winter athlete to claim a world title after aerial skiers Kirstie Marshall, Jacqui Cooper and Alisa Camplin, slalom skier Zali Steggall and moguls skier Dale Begg-Smith.

The Olympic Winter Institute of Australia was established in 1998 through a partnership between the Australian Olympic Committee and the AIS. It is jointly funded by the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Olympic Committee and delivers a winter sports scholarship program that annually supports up to 32 athletes across the sports of alpine skiing, freestyle skiing (mogul, aerial and ski cross), snowboarding, skeleton, short track speed skating and figure skating.