KEY POINTS:
Next year's Winter Games NZ unveiled its confirmed programme of events.
The games, from August 22-30, see will alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snowboarding, free skiing and adaptive snow sports run at Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Snow Farm and Cardrona ski fields.
Naseby in Central Otago, home of New Zealand curling, will host teams curling while Dunedin will host figure skating and ice hockey.
Winter triathlon will also feature in the programme, but as a demonstration event.
Touted as the world's largest winter sports event outside of the Olympics, over 800 elite athletes are expected for the games which will give them an opportunity to gain competition experience prior to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010.
Spectators will have free access to all the events, including the opening and closing ceremonies, games chief executive Arthur Klap said today.
"We have a really strong programme that is going to give winter sports a significant boost in the lead up to the Olympics," he said.
"We've managed to get nearly all the sports we wanted to - our one disappointment is being unable to secure a short track speed skating World Cup.
"However, this has been replaced by two trans Tasman ice hockey test matches and there's nothing like a bit of Australian-Kiwi rivalry to get the public fired up."
Trans Tasman ice hockey test match (Dunedin)
Free skiing slopestyle (The Remarkables)
Aug 23:
Classic cross country skiing (Snow Farm)
Snowboard slopestyle ( The Remarkables)
Trans Tasman ice hockey test match (Dunedin)
Curling ( Naseby)
Aug 24:
Sprint cross country skiing ( Snow Farm)
Curling ( Naseby)
Aug 25:
Alpine skiing - Super G (Coronet Peak)
Adaptive skiing - Super G (Coronet Peak)
Adaptive cross country ( Snow Farm)
Freestyle 5km - women (Snow Farm)
Freestyle 10km - Men ( Snow Farm)
Curling (Naseby)
Aug 26:
Boarder-X (Cardrona)
Free ski halfpipe ( Cardrona)
Curling ( Naseby)
Aug 27:
Alpine Skiing - Giant Slalom, men (Coronet Peak)
Snowboard Halfpipe (Cardrona)
Skier-X (Cardrona)
Curling (Naseby)
Aug 28:
Alpine Skiing - Giant Slalom, women ( Coronet Peak)
Adaptive Skiing - Giant Slalom, men ( Coronet Peak)
Curling (Naseby)
Figure Skating ( Dunedin)
Aug 29:
Adaptive Skiing - Slalom ( Coronet Peak)
Snowboard Big Air ( Cardrona)
Free Ski Big Air ( Cardrona)
Winter Triathlon ( Snow Farm)
Curling ( Naseby)
Figure Skating ( Dunedin)
Aug 30:
Alpine Skiing - Slalom ( Coronet Peak)
Snowboard Big Air ( Coronet Peak)
Free Ski Big Air ( Coronet Peak)
Figure Skating ( Dunedin)
Closing Ceremony ( Coronet Peak)
- NZPA
