With the Australian Winter Olympics team for Sochi numbering 60 members – our largest contingent ever – it indicates how much Australia has developed in the Winter Olympic sports over the years.
There are three Olympic Gold medallists there, demonstrating how much Australia has improved at the Winter Games in recent years.
Dale Begg-Smith, who won the gold medal in the moguls in 2006 as well as a silver medal in 2010, is back to strut his stuff.
Torah Bright will defend her crown in snowboarding and Lydia Lassila is looking to emulate her triumph in the freestyle skiing in Vancouver four years ago.
There’s also the current men’s snowboard world champ, Alex Pullin, who on form must be a chance of adding gold to his growing profile and achievements in the sport.
The most familiar name in the Australian team, however, is a first-time winter Olympian.
Jana Pittman forged a fine career as a 400-metre hurdler, winning four gold medals across two Commonwealth Games and two gold at World Championships.
She didn’t quite have the same success at Olympic Games, with fifth her best performance in 2004. Injuries prevented her from performing in 2008 and 2012.
There was also the greatest achievement in her life, the birth of her son, Cornelius, in 2006, but by her own admission not achieving the ultimate of an Olympic gold in the hurdles – an event she dominated at times – brought a great sense of disappointment for her sporting career.
Pittman’s constant battle with injuries, which included a ruptured Achilles before the 2008 Summer Games and a badly broken foot that ruled her out of London four years later, saw her turn her back on athletics. It appeared it was all over for one of Australia’s most polarising sportsmen or women.
Pittman had often been accused of adopting the attitude that any publicity is good publicity.
There were numerous stories about her turbulent, on-and-off-again marriage and relationship with former British athlete, Chris Rawlinson, the father of her son.
There were also feuds with fellow athletes like Tamsyn Lewis and a not particularly happy relationship with the Australian public, but Pittman’s competitive urge and spirit certainly can’t be questioned.
Neither can her talent, as she has made the big switch in such a short space of time. It’s taken less than two years from athletics to the bobsleigh at an elite level, and she gained selection in the two-person event for Sochi.
She will team with another former hurdler, Astrid Radjenovic, and although Pittman is more used to the solitary confinement of running on her own (bar the occasional relay), the two have forged a team good enough to be competitive in Russia over the next fortnight.
They have competed in a number of international events over the past 18 months and have regularly finished inside the top 15.
With competition so close, there generally has been very little difference in time between first place and the rookie Australian combination.
Pittman, with her extensive running and sprinting background, has the role of brakewoman, who has the job of generating speed through an explosive start.
She has acknowledged since starting the sport that she was coming from a long way back, but obviously her athletic prowess, drive and enormous experience gained in participating in many elite sports has helped her adapt quickly.
There are many first time Olympians in this Australian team and there’s no doubt Jana’s experience will come in handy, even though she is taking part in a new sport herself.
Olympic Games in both the Winter and Summer format have, over the years, provided a host of surprises with some unlikely medallists and even gold medal winning performances.
Both Radjenovic and Pittman would more than likely be in the same sleigh (excuse the pun) if they can add to this country’s growing Winter Olympic medal tally.
But don’t rule out this crew from doing something special. Jana Pittman loves to perform well against the odds and she knows this may be her last Olympic Games.
Expect her to leave no stone unturned in her ambition to be on that podium for the medal ceremony with Radjenovic.
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