Winter Olympics: Kiwi contenders shine for Games

New Zealand Winter Olympic contenders turned in strong performances around the globe over the weekend, just days before the team for Vancouver is named.

Cross-country skier Ben Koons won the TD Bank Eastern Cup in Rumford, Maine, to maintain his strong form, and keep himself among the near-certain selections for the February 12-28 Games.

Alpine skier Ben Griffin turned in a strong performance in an FIS Super G event at Santa Caterina Valfurva, Italy, finishing seventh. Griffin clocked 1min 16.07, 1.43s behind winner Marco Tomasi of Italy.

Fellow New Zealand Games hopeful Tim Cafe finished 24th in 1:17.31. Griffin has met the New Zealand discretionary qualification standard in both the Super G and giant slalom; Cafe has done so in the Super G.

Snowboarder Mitchell Brown of Mt Maunganui won both his races at an FIS Nor-Am Continental Cup halfpipe event in Calgary to improve his prospects of a trip to Vancouver.

Skeleton racer Ben Sandford of Rotorua finished 12th in his discipline's last Games qualifying World Cup event at St Moritz.

Sandford, ranked 14th on the circuit, clocked 1min 09.74s in finishing behind winner Eric Bernotas of the United States, who put up 1:09.15.

British-based New Zealander Iain Roberts was 21st and sits 44th on the standings.

New Zealand's women's skeleton contender, Tionette Stoddard of Dunedin, finished 15th in 2:23.62, behind winner Shelley Redman of Britain, who posted 2:20.42.

Adam Hall, New Zealand's leading Paralympic candidate, won gold in the slalom at a Paralympic alpine skiing World Cup race in Abtenau, Austria.

Non-Olympic free skier Jossi Wells won gold in the Wendys Invitational superpipe final at Ogden, Utah, the second stop on the Winter Dew tour.

Wells' victory, following his second in the opening event, puts him top of the tour rankings on 190 points, 35 clear of American Simon Dumont.