Young guns set for Winter Olympics

New Zealand's youngest ever Winter Olympian Alice Robinson of Wakatipu High School in action last NZ winter.

The 2018 Winter Olympics start in PyeongChang , South Korea at the end of this week. New Zealand will be represented by a 21-strong team, including three current school-aged athletes and a couple more just out of school.

Meet the Kiwi teenaged athletes below and follow them in action over the next fortnight.

Alice Robinson

Where from: Queenstown (Wakatipu High School)

Disciplines: Slalom, Giant Slalom

About: The 16-year-old will be New Zealand’s youngest ever Winter Olympian, beating her teammate Nico Porteous (below) for that honour. Has made rapid progress in her debut season of FIS racing and is currently ranked 67th in the world for women’s Giant Slalom from 3,500 competitors. The USA’s Mikaela Shiffrin, Overall World Cup leader, is the only other athlete in FIS history who has progressed as fast as Alice in her first year as a FIS athlete. In 2017 she won the U16 Giant Slalom, finished second in Slalom in Slovenia, and was also the winner of the US U16 National Championship Giant Slalom.

When in action:
Women’s Giant Slalom First Run Sunday 12 February 2.10pm
Women’s Giant Slalom Second Run Sunday 12 February 5.40pm
Women’s Slalom First Run Wednesday 14 February 2.10pm
Women’s Slalom Second Run Wednesday 14 February 5.40pm
 
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott

Where from: Wanaka (Mount Aspiring College)

Disciplines: Snowboard Slopestyle, Snowboard Big Air

About: 2016 World Championships silver, slopestyle. 2016 World Cup gold, slopestyle. Snow Sports NZ Snowboarder of the Year 2017 and Overall Athlete of the Year 2017 Won slopestyle gold in the Czech Republic last March. Two weeks earlier, the 16-year-old won silver at the Big Air world championships.

When competing:
Women’s Slopestyle Qualifying Sunday 11 February 5.25pm
 Women’s Slopestyle Final Monday 12 February 1.55pm
Women’s Big Air Qualifying Monday 19 February 1.25pm
Women’s Big Air Final Friday 23 February 1.25pm
 
Nico Porteous

Where from: Christchurch 

Discipline: Freeski Halfpipe

About: Will be aged 16 years and 78 days old on the first day of the games. The youngest person in the world to land a triple cork 1440. Nico impressed the home crowds at Cardrona Alpine Resort this season with a win at the Continental Cup Halfpipe. He was also on top form at the 2017 Winter Games NZ where he qualified in second place for the Halfpipe World Cup and finished in sixth in the finals. Finished eighth in the Halfpipe World Cup event staged in Bokwang Phoenix Park, which was the official test event ahead of the Winter Olympics.

When competing:
Men’s Halfpipe Qualifying Tuesday 20 February 4.55pm
Men’s Halfpipe Final Thursday 22 February 3.25pm
 
Finn Bilous

Where from: Wanaka (Mount Aspiring College 2017)

Discipline: Freeski Slopestyle

About: Was New Zealand’s flag bearer at the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Winter Games, winning a  silver medal in halfpipe and a bronze medal in slopestyle. He was subsequently named as a finalist for the Emerging Talent award at the 2017 Halberg Awards. Also participates in a variety of other sports including including running, surfing, mountain biking and adventure racing. 

When competing: 
Men’s Slopestyle Skiing Sunday 18 February 5.10pm
 
Tiarn Collins

Where from: Queenstown

Disciplines: Snowboard Slopestyle, Snowboard Big Air

About: A Youth Winter Olympian in Lillehammer 2016. He finished fourth in slopesyle and fifth in halfpipe. Born in the heat of Brisbane, he moved to Queenstown aged eight and took to the snow. Won a silver medal in the big air World Cup event in China in November, landing a backside triple cork. Eighth in the 2017 slopestyle world championships.

When competing:
Men’s Slopestyle Qualifying Saturday 10 Febuary 1.55pm
Men’s Slopestyle Final Sunday 11 February 1.55pm
Men’s Big Air Qualifying Wednesday 21 February 1.35pm
Men’s Big Air Final Saturday 24 February 1.55pm
 
Rakai Tait

Where from: Based in the USA

Discipline: Snowboard Halfpipe

About:  Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Winter Games, sixth in halfpipe and 13th in slopestyle. Based in Vail, Rakai is half Kiwi, half American and competes for New Zealand. He spent time living in Switzerland as a child and it was there he first learnt to snowboard, at the age of 7.

When competing:
Men’s Halfpipe Qualifying Tuesday 13 February 4.55pm
Men’s Halfpipe Final Wednesday 14 February 2.25pm

Did you know? 

• Figure skater Alain Giletti was aged just 12 years, 162 days in 1952 when he competed at the Winter Olympics for the first time. Giletti became a world champion in 1960.
• Scotty Allen (USA) won bronze in the figure skating in 1964, aged 14 years and 360 days. He remains the youngest male medalist in the Winter Games.
• At the 1992 Winter Olympics, Finnish ski jumper Toni Nieminen made history by becoming the youngest male Winter Olympic champion, winning gold at 16 years 261 days. Nieminen held the world record in his code and later became a race jockey and television commentator.
• At the 1928 Games Sonja Henie (born April 8, 1912) of Norway made history when she won the figure skating competition at the age of 15. At the time she became the youngest Olympic champion in history, a distinction she would hold for 66 years.
• At the 1994 Winter Olympics, Korean Kim Yun-Mi became the youngest Olympic champion at the Winter Games when she won gold in the women's 3,000m relay in short track speed skating. She was 13 years, 85 days years old. She was part of a team in the relay event. Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies' figure skater and in the 30’s and 40’s was one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood.
• Cecilia Colledge of Great Britain was 11 years, 73 days old when she competed in ladies singles figure skating at the 1932 Winter Games in Lake Placid. She finished 8th. She came back four years later to the 1936 Winter Games and won a silver medal in ladies singles figure skating. Colledge was a pioneer in her sport, credited as being the first female skater to perform a double jump, as well as being the inventor of both the camel spin and the layback spin