Andy Bor

Andy Bor

Andrew Bor January 2014
Personal information
Full name Andrew Bor
Nationality  Australia
Born 14 April 1963
Sport
Country Australia
Sport Para-alpine skiing
Event(s) Downhill
Super-G
Giant slalom
Slalom
Super combined

Andy Bor (born 14 April 1963) is an Australian ski coach and sighted guide for visually impaired skiers. He was a coach at the 2006 Winter Paralympics in Torino, and was Melissa Perrine's guide skier at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver and 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi.

Bor became Melissa Perrine's guide in 2009. He first skied with her in competition at the IPC North America Cup in Colorado, in 2009, where the pair finished second in the super-G. As Perrine's guide skier, he competed in the downhill, super-G, super combined, giant slalom and slalom events at Vancouver. They won silver in the downhill and bronze medals in super-G and super combined at the 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Sestriere. At an August 2011 Winter Games IPC event at Coronet Peak, Perrine and Bor finished first in the women's slalom visually impaired event.

At the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Bor and Perrine finished fourth in the women's downhill for visually impaired, and did not finish in three other events. She was disqualified after the slalom leg of the women's super combined for wearing a visor which was taped to her helmet.

Personal

Bor was born on 14 April 1963.[1] He lives in the Gold Coast suburb of Tugun, Queensland,[2][3] and works as a skiing coach.[1]

Skiing

Bor is a guide for visually impaired skiers.[4] In this role, he skies in front of the visually impaired skier and gives him or her direction to get down the course[1] using speakers and a microphone.[3] At the 2006 Winter Paralympics in Torino, Bor served as an Australian assistant coach. In 2009, following those Games, he shifted his role to serve as Melissa Perrine's guide as Perrine advanced further in the sport.[1] He first skied with Perrine at a World Cup event in January 2010 where they finished fourth.[1]

Bor first represented Australia internationally in skiing in 2006.[1] He first skied with Perrine in 2009 in competition at the IPC North America Cup in Colorado, where the pair finished second in the super-G.[5] He was officially named to the Australian 2010 Winter Paralympics team in November 2009.[6] A ceremony was held in Canberra with Australian Paralympic Committee president Greg Hartung and Minister for Sport Kate Ellis making the announcement.[7] He and the rest of Australia's para-alpine team arrived in the Paralympic village on 9 March 2010 for the 2010 Winter Paralympics.[8] As Perrine's guide skier, he competed in the downhill, super-G, super combined, giant slalom and slalom events.[4][9] He finished seventh in the visually impaired super-G,[10] approximately 12.54 seconds behind gold medal winning Slovak skier Henrieta Farkasova. The finish was because Perrine was not following Bor like she should have.[11] He and Perrine finished fifth in the 2,139 metres (7,018 ft) long downhill course.[12]

Melissa Perrine and her guide Andy Bor in the women's downhill at the 2014 Winter Paralympics
Andrew Bor interview originally conducted for Wikinews

Bor skied with Perrine at the 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Sestriere, where Perrine won a silver medal in the downhill and bronze medals in super-G and super combined.[13] At an August 2011 Winter Games IPC event at Coronet Peak, she and Bor finished first in the women's slalom visually impaired event with a time of 1:58.63, about 50 seconds faster than the event's silver medallist, Jae Rim Yang skier with guide Ko Woon Chung.[14][15][16]

Bor was Perrine's guide at February 2012 World Cup event in Italy in the slalom, and finished third. For her two runs, she had a combined time of 2:11.03, less than a second behind the silver medal finishing Danielle Umstead.[17] She won a silver medal in the giant slalom, with combined run time of 2:28.13, ten seconds behind the gold medalist.[18]

At the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Bor was again Melissa Perrine's guide. She finished fourth in the women's downhill for visually impaired, and did not finish in three other events.[19] She was disqualified after the slalom leg of the women's super combined for wearing a visor which was taped to her helmet in order to keep rain from her goggles. This was a breach of the IPC Alpine Skiing rules. Jason Hellwig, CEO of the Australian Paralympic Committee described it as "mindnumbingly-dumb mistake" as it was not picked up by relevant team officials. He indicated it was an honest mistake and there was no intention to cheat.[20]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Andy Bor". Australia: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "2010 Australian Paralympic Winter Team Media Guide" (PDF). Australian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Melissa Perrine undeterred by fractured build up to Vancouver Games". Australia: The Australian. 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lulham, Amanda (21 March 2010). "Aussie medal hopes left in tatters". Sunday Telegraph (Sydney, Australia). p. 103. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Athlete Profile: Melissa Perrine". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "Paralympic Team for Vancouver sprinkled with experience". Australia: The Australian. 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  7. ↑ Browning, Jennifer (25 November 2009). "Winter Paralympics team biggest yet". Australia: ABC Grandstand Sport. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  8. ↑ McDonald, Margie (8 March 2010). "Australian assault on Paralympics takes shape in Vancouver". The Australian (Australia). Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  9. ↑ Lulham, Amanda (18 March 2010). "A battle against bugs and breaks". The Courier Mail (Brisbane, Australia). p. 79. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  10. ↑ "WEEKEND SCOREBOARD". The Australian (Australia). 22 March 2010. p. 40. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "Aussies off the pace in super-G". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 20 March 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  12. ↑ McDonald, Margie (20 March 2012). "Twist of fake legs brings silver". Australia: The Australian. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  13. ↑ "Fearless Perrine creates skiing history for Australia". insidethegames.biz. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  14. ↑ "Kiwi Adam Hall races to gold medal glory". New Zealand: Stuff.co.nz. August 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  15. ↑ "Skiing: Extreme success for Hall". Dunedin, New Zealand: Otago Daily Times. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  16. ↑ "Adam Hall Wins Slalom Gold for New Zealand". New Zealand: Scoop News. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  17. ↑ "Podium for Kane in Spain". Australia: Australian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  18. ↑ "Gourley wins first gold on the slopes". Australia: Australian Paralympic Committee. 3 February 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  19. ↑ "Sochi 2014 Latest Results". Australian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  20. ↑ Paxinos, Stathi (12 March 2014). "Sochi Winter Paralympics: Australian team owns up to 'dumb' mistake". The Age. Retrieved 12 March 2014.