Mitch Hewitt chopped his way to a gold medal in the 2000 springboard timber event.

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Mitch Hewitt, a 22-year-old banana farmer from Queensland, Australia, proved to the world, once again, that you need a lot more than brute strength to be a quality lumberjack. Hewitt, who only weighs about 170 pounds, won the springboard event Thursday in a time of 43.39 seconds.

Hewitt was the lightest competitor in the field, but also proved the most agile and the finest technician. He defeated David Bolstad of New Zealand in the fourth and final round of the competition.

Bolstad finished in a time of 45.53 seconds as the finals also turned out to be the closest of Thursday's springboard matches.

The two finalists also were the highest seeds in the springboard, as the 16-man competition contained few surprises.

Americans Matt Bush and Dave Jewett took third and fourth, respectively.

Bush was seen as the best chance the Americans had of winning the event. It didn't help his chances that he severed a tendon in his thumb only a month ago. The tendon had to be surgically repaired after an axe blade landed on the back of his thumb.

"The only time I noticed it was in the race with Mitch when my skin was balling up on the corners and pinching," said Bush as he held an ice pack on his hand. "I noticed it, but I don't think it affected the way I cut any."

Bush and Jewett are both New Yorkers. Bush runs a sawmill in Croghan. Jewett is a woodworker who runs a handmade wreath business in Pittsford.

Hewitt said the Australians don't specifically train for the springboard, so he just tried to rely on his skills with an axe. He expected to do well, but was just hoping to get to the finals. The gold medal was a bonus.

Hewitt comes from a long line of lumberjacks. His great-great-grandfather migrated to Australia to clear land. His great grandfather competed in timber events in the 1920s. The sport has been a family tradition ever since.

The biggest surprise of the competition was Jewett's quarterfinal win over third-seeded Dale Ryan of New South Whales, Australia.

The crowd was at its loudest during that match as the two men matched each other swing for swing until Jewett broke through in a time of 1:15.89. Ryan finished just a couple of swings later.

In the springboard, competitors chop through a 12-inch block secured atop a 9-foot pole. The first one done wins, but chopping through the block is not all of the battle.

The competitors first have to make their way up the pole. They do this by cutting a pocket into the pole where they can place a board to stand on. Then they repeat the process until they are at about waist level to the chopping block.