Winter Olympics Day Two: Carlos Garcia Knight becomes the first Kiwi to compete for a medal

Garcia Knight competes during the Men's Slopestyle qualification on day one. Photo / Getty Images

It's day two of the 2018 Winter Olympics and New Zealand is already within a fighting chance of claiming their first medal of the games.

Snowboarder Carlos Garcia Knight has emerged as the Kiwis first hope of winning a medal in PyeongChang when he participates in the Slopestyle final at 2pm.

He will need to produce the best ride of his career if he is to beat out the 12 other competitors in the final.

The 20-year-old qualified for the final run sixth overall from two heats, scoring an impressive 80.1 in his first run - seven points behind top seed Max Parrott.

First emerging on the international scene in 2015, Garcia Knight won a silver medal in Slopestyle at the FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships.

Off the mountain, Garcia Knight is a keen surfer and skateboarder and didn't find his talent for snowboarding until he was aged 11.

Born and raised in Christchurch, it wasn't until a friend offered to take him snowboarding that he discovered his snow-shredding talent.

Sadowski Synnott competes at the Women's Slopestyle Final of the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships 2017. Photo / Getty Images

Other Kiwi athletes to take part in day two of the Winter Olympics are snowboarder Zoi Sadowski Synnott and speed-skater Peter Michael.

Wanaka Snowboarder Zoi Sadowski Synnott, 16, is one of the youngest of New Zealand's 21 athletes who are competing at the Pyeongchang games.

Sadowski Synnott beat out fellow Olympian Carlos Garcia Knight to win Snow Sport New Zealand's athlete of the year award last year.

2017 was a big year for the snowboarder, winning her first snowboard world cup - becoming just the third Kiwi to win a world cup.

Sadowski Synnott opens her Winter Olympics campaign in the Slopestyle qualification where she will be a strong contender for a medal.

Michael is a former inline skating world champion, who decided to add the Olympic Winter Games to his goals after watching fellow-countryman Shane Dobbin compete at the Sochi 2014 Games.

PyeongChang is his first Olympics but that won't hold him back, in the 2016/17 season he gained World Cup podiums in the 1500m, 5km and Team Pursuit.

When and where to watch the Kiwis perform

• Carlos Garcia Knight - Men's snowboard slopestyle finals, from 1.55pm on Sky Channel 56.

• Zoi Sadowski Synnott - Women's snowboard slopestyle qualification, from 5.25pm on Sky Channel 56.

• Peter Michael - Men's 5000m speed skating final, from 7.55pm on Sky Channel 55.

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