Having seemingly come from nowhere to become the No 1-ranked freestyle skier in a matter of months, the 16-year-old finds herself among the medal favourites at Milano Cortina
An overnight success tends to be built on years of patience and perseverance. Teenage ski sensation Indra Brown might just be the exception that proves the rule.
Australia’s rising star of freestyle skiing had not even dropped into a halfpipe when the Winter Olympics were held in Beijing four years ago. Now she is launching out of them, landing her favourite trick – a cork 900, or “two-and-a-half spins and a flip while grabbing my skis” – and is among the favourites for a freeski halfpipe Olympic medal just days after turning 16.
Brown burst onto the scene last December and quickly collected three medals in her first three World Cup events including gold on familiar terrain in Calgary. She will head to Milano Cortina as No 1 in the women’s World Cup rankings, and the youngest member of the 53-strong Australian team.
“I don’t want to go there with a position I want, or a medal I want,” Indra says. “I just want to go there and do my best and be really proud of what I’ve done. This is my first Olympics and I’m only 16.
