Snowboarder Torah Bright says she is ready to find another man who is “so hot that I can't help but rip his shirt off and make out”, while also revealing how her broken marriage with fellow snowboarder Jake Welch almost forced her to quit the sport.

In a bizarre interview with a blogger from Esquire.com before leaving Russia earlier this week, the Sochi halfpipe silver medallist said she wants “a big man”.

“I just want to have fun for now,” the 27-year-old said. “I want a guy so hot that I can't help but rip his shirt off and make out. But in the future I want a guy who knows what he wants and who can take care of me. I want a big man.”

Bright and Welch, a fellow Mormon, divorced last year. She says it eventually inspired her to enter three snowboarding events in Sochi - the halfpipe, the slopestyle and boarder cross - but initially prompted her to consider walking away.

“When you are in the wrong relationship, everything feels wrong,” she said. “I thought the problem was snowboarding and I was going to quit. But as soon as he was out of my life I realised it was him. Benny (her brother and coach) said, 'If you want to do something really big, qualify for all three snowboard events at the Olympics. I mean, it's just snowboarding…' And to get the love of snowboarding back I knew that's what I wanted to do.”

The author of the blog, someone called Chas Smith, makes some wild accusations in the piece, claiming this of Welch: “He was the wrong man (a complete asshole, if I'm allowed). A B-rate pro snowboarder himself, the relationship was a disaster. He rudely harped on Torah's success in order to feel better and her love of snowboarding began to wane.”

He also claims Bright "talks about how difficult it was that her native Australian press jumped on her for whining about the sub-par slopestlye (sic) course and the halfpipe" and "is notoriously nasty, always looking to take down its national stars in an ode to tall poppy syndrome".

“I wouldn't say I'm mean but I'm definitely more driven now,” Bright said. “I know what I want."