FIS World Cup Women's Snowboarding Big Air winner Zoi Sadowski Synnott. Photosport
FIS World Cup Women's Snowboarding Big Air winner Zoi Sadowski Synnott. Photosport
New Zealand heads into the Beijing Winter Olympics with three medals won in the history of the event. There's a possibility that output could double over the next few weeks.
Here's a look at the New Zealand team's best chances to medal in China.
1) Zoi Sadowski Synnott Two-time world championin the slopestyle event and silver medalist in the Big Air, the 2018 bronze medalist is a real chance to triple her tally in China. She will go in as the favourite in the slopestyle event, making the 20-year-old a great chance to become New Zealand's first ever gold medalist at the Winter Olympics. The slopestyle final takes place on Sunday meaning it might not be a long wait before New Zealand is on the medal table. She also won the Big Air at last month's X-Games and it would not surprise to see her win double gold.
FIS World Cup Women's Snowboarding Big Air winner Zoi Sadowski Synnott. Photosport
2) Nico Porteous Stunned the world to pick up bronze in Pyeongchang but certainly won't be flying under the radar in China. The 2018 bronze medalist, like Sadowski Synnott, is a big chance for gold when he lines up in the freestyle skiing halfpipe event on the last weekend of the Games. Winner of the latest World Cup event last month and backed that up with gold in the Superpipe final at the X Games a week ago,( the biggest event outside the Olympics) Porteous arrives in Beijing in the form of his life. If he pulls of back-to-back 1620s, like he did in the X Games final, then he'll be hard to beat.
Nico Porteous celebrates defending the X Games SuperPipe title at the X Games. Photosport
3) Alice Robinson Robinson could medal in the Giant slalom after claiming three World Cup wins over the last two years. She has gone through a bit of a form dip this season in the discipline after contracting Covid-19 but the indications are she is back to her explosive best in training and remains one of the top medal contenders in GS. She has made rapid progress in her second discipline Super G and after a fourth in St Moritz in December, can not be discounted as a medal chance in that discipline too.
Alice Robinson competes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Giant Slalom. Photosport
4) Miguel Porteous Older brother of Nico, was fifth in the halfpipe at the most recent event at Mammoth Mountain last month, with New Zealand teammate Ben Harrington a spot back in sixth. Don't put it past having two Kiwis on the halfpipe podium in China.
Miguel Porteous training at the X Games in Aspen. Photsport
5) Peter Michael The former inline skating world champion made the switch to ice and was so close to winning a medal four years ago, with a fourth in the 5000m and the team pursuit. This time he's competing in the shorter 1500m distance and hoping to get a spot on the start line in the 10,000m. Probably considered a long shot to medal in the 10,000m with a season best of 14th during the World Cup season, 12 seconds out of the medals.
Peter Michael during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics. Photosport
