Australia became the first Southern Hemisphere nation to claim a gold medal at the Winter Olympics when Steven Bradbury won the 1,000 metres short track speed skating in bizarre circumstances at Salt Lake City in 2002. Well off the pace Bradbury was positioned at the rear in the semi-final, only to see his rivals crash into each other, allowing him to reach the final. Again well off the pace in the final all four other competitors crashed at the final corner, leaving Bradbury to take victory. Bradbury was also part of the relay team that had won Australia's first Winter Olympics medal, a bronze, at Lillehammer in 1994.