| paralympics = [[2010 Winter Paralympics]]

{{MedalGold | [[Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Paralympics|2002 Salt Lake City]] | Men's Downhill B1-3}}

{{MedalGold | [[Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Paralympics|2002 Salt Lake City]] | Men's Super-G B1-3}}

'''Bartholomew "Bart" Bunting''' (born 17 June 1976) is a blind Australian blind Paralympic alpine skier. He attended [[University of Technology, Sydney]] and was featured on a program by the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]].

Bunting started skiing in 1998, and has held scholarships with the [[Australian Institute of Sports]]. He won two gold medals and a silver medal at the [[2002 Winter Paralympics|2002 Salt Lake City Games]]. He and his guide [[Nathan Chivers]] retired after 2002 due to Chivers breaking a leg in a motorbike accident. He returned to skiing in 2009 with a goal of making the [[2010 Winter Paralympics]], which he did but did not earn any medals at those Games.

Bunting has been legally blind since birth, and skis with his guide [[Nathan Chivers]], who he has known since high school.<ref name="APC">{{cite web|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/team/bart-bunting|title=Bart Bunting|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee|accessdate=29 December 2011}}</ref><ref name="hillsshire">{{cite web|url=http://hills-shire-times.whereilive.com.au/news/story/it-s-snow-time-for-blind-hills-skiier-bart-bunting/|title=It's snow time for blind Hills skiier Bart Bunting|date=16 February 2010|first=Bev|last=Jordan|publisher=Hills Shire Times|accessdate=29 December 2011}}</ref> He began skiing in 1998 at a "tryout camp" for people with disabilities. He found it difficult at first, but in 2000, he won a gold medal in the downhill and giant slalom at the [[IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships]] in [[Anzère]], Switzerland.<ref name="hillsshire"/> From 2001 to 2003 and in 2009, he had an [[Australian Institute of Sport]] scholarship for alpine skiing.<ref name=excellence>{{cite book|title=Australian Institute of Sport : celebrating excellence |last=Nihil|first=G.|publisher=Focus Publishing|year=2006|isbn=1-921156-16-3|page=105}}</ref>

Bunting won two gold medals at the [[2002 Winter Paralympics|2002 Salt Lake City Games]] in the Men's Downhill B1-3 event and the Men's Super-G B1-3 event, and a silver medal in the Men's Giant Slalom B1-2 event.<ref name=newspaper12/><ref name=IPC>{{cite web|title=Athlete Search Results|url=http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/search.php?sport=all&games=all&medal=all&npc=all&name=Bunting&fname=Bart&gender=all|publisher=[[International Paralympic Committee]]|accessdate=11 February 2012}}</ref> Due to these achievements, he carried the Australian flag during the closing ceremony of the Games.<ref name="sbs">{{cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/disablebodiedsailors/cast/detail/id/617|title=Bart Bunting|publisher=[[Special Broadcasting Service]]|work=Crew and Recruits|accessdate=29 December 2011}}</ref> Bunting and Chivers retired after 2002 due to Chivers breaking a leg in a motorbike accident.<ref name=australian>{{cite news|last=McDonald|first=Margie|title=Bart Bunting and Nathan Chivers rekindle Paralympic flames|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/bart-bunting-and-nathan-chivers-rekindle-paralympic-flames/story-e6frg7xf-1225760521321|accessdate=2 May 2012|newspaper=The Australian|date=12 August 2009}}</ref> He returned to competition with Chivers in 2009 with the aim of competing at the [[2010 Winter Paralympics|2010 Vancouver Games]].<ref name=australian/>

Bunting was officially named to the Australian 2010 Winter Paralympics team in November 2009.<ref name=officiallynamed>{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/paralympic-team-for-vancover-sprinkled-with-experience/story-e6frg7mf-1225803724024 |title=Paralympic Team for Vancouver sprinkled with exaperience |publisher=The Australian |location=Australia |date=2009 |accessdate=24 October 2012}}</ref> A ceremony was held in Canberra with Australian Paralympic Committee president [[Greg Hartung]] and Minister for Sport [[Kate Ellis]] making the announcement.<ref name=makeannouncemnetellis>{{cite web|last=Browning |first=Jennifer |url=http://www.abc.net.au/sport/stories/2009/11/25/2753734.htm |title=Winter Paralympics team biggest yet |publisher=ABC Grandstand Sport |date=25 November 2009 |accessdate=24 October 2012 |location=Australia}}</ref> He and the rest of Australia's para-alpine team arrived in the Paralympic village on 9 March 2010.<ref name=arrivedvillage>{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-assault-on-paralympics-takes-shape-in-vancouver/story-fn4vwn8v-1225838309977 |title=Australian assault on Paralympics takes shape in Vancouver |first=Margie |last=McDonald |location=Australia |newspaper=The Australian |date=8 March 2010 |accessdate=24 October 2012}}</ref> He competed but did not win any medals at these games<ref name="IPC"/> with [[Nathan Chivers]] as his guide.<ref name=sixthplace/> While he was scheduled to ski in the second run of the giant slalom at the 2010 Games, he withdrew from the event in order to focus on the downhill event.<ref name=downhillforbunting>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-03-17/aussie-dallas-sixth-in-giant-slalom/368260 |title=Aussie Dallas sixth in giant slalom |location=Australia |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=17 March 2010 |accessdate=22 October 2012}}</ref> He had been in 14th place after his first run.<ref name=sixthplace>{{cite web|url=http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1028229 |title=Aussies struggle in fog at Creekside |publisher=Nine MSN |location=Australia |date=2010 |accessdate=22 October 2012}}</ref> By November 2011, he had retired from elite skiing.<ref name=retired>{{cite web|url=http://www.paralympic.org/news/coaching-coup-brings-sochi-success-closer |title=Coaching Coup Brings Sochi Success Closer &#124; IPC |publisher=Paralympic.org |date=2011-06-21 |accessdate=2012-11-01}}</ref>

[[Category:Australian Institute of Sport Paralympic skiers]]