Aerial skier Lydia Lassila says she is yet to make a decision on her future in the sport after winning bronze at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
The 32-year-old was presented with her bronze medal this morning, the result adding to the gold she won in Vancouver four years ago.
She equalled the Olympic efforts of fellow Australian Alisa Camplin, who won gold in 2002 in Salt Lake City and collected bronze four years later in Turin.
Lassila, who made her Olympics debut in Salt Lake City in 2002, says she will take some time before she decides whether to retire or continue in the sport.
“I’d like to just wait and see when we get home and see how I feel, and discuss it with everyone as well,” she said.
Lassila says she is still coming to terms with her result in Sochi, describing her bronze-medal performance as a proud achievement.
“It’s just all flooding out, it’s a great feeling, I’m so rapt,” she said.
“I’ve had about an hour’s sleep since yesterday, so I’m just … I’m flying high still. I’m feeling pretty good actually, I’ve got a new buzz after that medal ceremony.”
Meanwhile, Lassila has called for government assistance to build Australia’s first water ramp, regarded as a necessity for training in aerial skiing.
Lennox Head, on New South Wales’ north coast, has been earmarked as a possible site, although securing both federal and state funding has previously been an issue.
“It is a game changer and it shouldn’t wait, we should do it now,” Lassila said.
There is considerable cost involved for Australians to use water ramps overseas and Lassila says establishing such a training facility in Australia is a priority if it is to remain competitive in the sport.
“We don’t have to be at the mercy of these countries any more for their facilities, we can run our own show,” Lassila said.
“You can’t send a lot of athletes away to these foreign water ramps because of the cost.
“You are limited, so by having a local facility we can start recruiting en masse and start generating some real solid talent to back up the talent like the Chinese do and have them ready to roll out when we need them.”
Source: ABC