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?
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CategoriesArchives
March 2022
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OrganisationCollege Sport Media is dedicated to telling the story of successful young sportspeople in New Zealand
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