Janina Kuzma finished an impressive second in the World Cup halfpipe final yesterday. Photo / Getty Images
Janina Kuzma finished an impressive second in the World Cup halfpipe final yesterday. Photo / Getty Images
Queenstown event set to become one of top three international snow sports fixtures.
New Zealand might never host a Winter Olympics - but they can build an event that's the envy of the snow sports world.
That's the view of Winter Games chief executive Arthur Klap, who is overseeing the fourth Winter Games held in Queenstown and Wanaka.
The profile and quality of the biennial event has grown exponentially since 2009, with this year's games attracting several reigning Olympic champions, including American slalom stars Ted Ligety and Mikaela Shiffrin and freeski slopestyle exponent Joss Christensen.
Canada's Curling team - who have dominated the last two Olympics - are also in town, along with Japanese snowboarder Yuki Kadano, rated as the most exciting prospect in the sport.
The attendance of such star names - and the increasing prominence of the event on the world stage - leads to the inevitable question: could New Zealand host the Winter Olympics?
"In a word - no," said Klap. "The chances are zero, in my opinion. We wouldn't have the capacity to host thousands of athletes and media and it would be very hard to justify the cost."
Russia spent more than US$10 billion ($15 billion) on the Sochi games, while Vancouver's bill in 2010 exceeded US$6 billion.
Klap points out New Zealand would need to construct a bobsleigh track, an arena for ice hockey and skating and a ski jump course, among other facilities.
"You would need major infrastructure that wouldn't really get utilised after the event. In reality it's not a goer."
However, Klap has high hopes for the Winter Games. He expects it to be rated among the world's top three snow sport events within the next decade, attracting many of the best athletes from around the globe.
That's not a hollow boast; apart from the star power currently on display, the event is also highly regarded by international officials.
Janina Kuzma. Photo / Getty Images
Observers from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics have been sent to watch and learn, while a senior FIS official commented that the events last weekend ran more seamlessly than Sochi's.
The Games will also be the international debut for a new curling mixed doubles format, trialled ahead of the next Olympics.
It's a brilliant spectacle, and for most Kiwis (who won't attend a Winter Olympics), a unique opportunity to see world class action.
Thousands watched the floodlit dual slalom event at Coronet Peak last Friday night - the first of its kind in this country for decades - which was won by Ligety and Shiffrin.
And perhaps most importantly, the event provides a major boost for local athletes. It's a rare chance for Kiwis to win World Cup points on home soil, and the 2017 edition will provide qualification opportunities for PyeongChang.
"Having the Winter Games here is amazing," said New Zealand's Janina Kuzma, ranked second in the world for the free ski halfpipe.
"It's great for all of us but especially for the younger development kids. They see there is a pathway and the level they need to be at.
"I've seen a big change with the younger athletes because they have seen that pathway [and] they are training their butts off."
In yesterday's action, Kuzma finished an impressive second in the World Cup halfpipe final, only behind 2014 Olympic silver medallist Devin Logan (USA).
Meanwhile, compatriot Beau-James Wells finished 10th in the men's final, with France's Kevin Rolland taking gold.
