Will it be a Kiwi woman who finally tops the podium at a Winter Olympics? Merryn Anderson gives a run-down of our strong female contingent at the Beijing games starting next week.
After a record haul of 20 medals at the Tokyo Summer Olympics last year, New Zealand looks primed to make history again at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Fifteen athletes will fly under the New Zealand flag in Beijing - six women making the journey over; four of them making their Olympic debut.
One Kiwi looking to etch her name in the record books again is Zoi Sadowski-Synnott.
The Wanaka prodigy made history in Pyeongchang in 2018, becoming the youngest New Zealand Olympic medallist when she won bronze in the snowboard big air, and becoming only the second Kiwi to receive a medal at the Winter Olympics.
Winning her medal 12 days before her 17th birthday, Sadowski-Synnott held the record for mere hours before Nico Porteous (262 days her junior) won bronze in the freestyle skiing halfpipe on the same day.
She's well-poised to be the first Kiwi to win two Winter Olympic medals; her first medal chance coming in the slopestyle.
The Beijing Games formally start on February 4, and our first Kiwis hit the slopes the following day.
LockerRoom have compiled a handy guide of all the Kiwi wāhine competing and when you can catch them.
(All the action will be on Sky Sport, over six Olympic channels live from 2pm to 4am, and free to air on Prime each day, noon to 3am).
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
Now 20, Sadowski-Synnott will be the first of the New Zealand women to ride for a medal at the Games. Competing in both the big air and slopestyle, the young snowboarder is in stellar form, winning gold in both events at the recent Winter X Games. Her main rival will be American Jamie Anderson, the reigning Olympic champ in the slopestyle event who also won silver in the big air in 2018. Sadowski-Synnott won the battle at the X Games, with Anderson having to settle for two silvers. Along with the two golds, Sadowski-Synnott also received the ‘best in snow Jeep Golden Grill award’, recognised for her achievements and being the first woman in a slopestyle run to land back-to-back double corks.
When to watch:
Snowboard slopestyle - Saturday 5th 3.45pm; finals Sunday 6th 2.30pm
Snowboard big air - Monday 14th 2.30pm; finals Tuesday 15th 2.30pm
Alice Robinson
Struck down by Covid in Italy just before Christmas, Robinson has struggled to find her form of late, still dealing with the repercussions of the virus. But she ended her Beijing preparations with a top 10 finish in the Super G in Italy. The 20-year-old competed in the slalom and giant slalom in the 2018 Olympics, finishing 35th in the latter. Since then, Robinson stamped her mark on the alpine world with three World Cup victories in giant slalom, but hasn't had a top 10 finish in the event this season. The Queenstown skier started a partnership with Red Bull last September and left New Zealand in October, to compete in Europe before heading to China. After “a hectic month of travel and racing”, she's still to decide if she'll compete in more alpine skiing events in Beijing.
When to watch:
Giant slalom - Monday 7th 3.15pm and 6.45pm
Super G - Friday 11th, 4pm.
Margaux Hackett
The 22-year-old will be attending her first Winter Olympics, but is no stranger to high octane activities. If you’re wondering about the familiar last name, yes she's the daughter of the legendary Kiwi bungy jumper AJ Hackett. She splits her time between Wanaka and Manigod in France depending on the season, and was eighth in the freeski slopestyle World Cup in Switzerland last March. Since September, Hackett has only competed in one global competition, instead focusing on training and perfecting her run for the Olympics.
When to watch:
Freeski big air - Monday 7th 2.30pm; finals Tuesday 8th 3.00pm
Freeski slopestyle - Sunday 13th 3.00pm; finals Monday 14th 2.30pm
Chloe McMillan
Another first-time Olympian, McMillan hails from the notoriously unsnowy Hamilton, and flew to Europe on her way to North America late last year for qualifying events. Competing in the freeski halfpipe alongside Anja Barugh, McMillan only started in the halfpipe discipline in 2018, but has quickly risen through the ranks. A hamstring injury led to her withdraw from her most recent competition in the US, but she's since returned to full fitness and is ready for the Games.
When to watch:
Freeski halfpipe - Thursday 17th from 2.30pm; finals Friday 18th 2.30pm
Anja Barugh
Also from Hamilton, Barugh’s passion for skiing sits alongside her love of travel, photography and nature, growing her indoor plant collection when she can. Another Winter Olympian whose training takes her all over the world, Barugh still managed to get stuck in lockdown in New Zealand last year, coming back home to try and make the most of the Kiwi winter. Her most recent result, 22nd in the freeski halfpipe in the World Cup in Colorado, is one of her best international placings, slowly moving up the rankings since December. Barugh and McMillan have been training together in Laax, Switzerland, in the build-up to their first Olympic run on the 17th.
When to watch:
Freeski halfpipe - Thursday 17th from 2.30pm; finals Friday 18th 2.30pm
Cool Wakushima
Aptly named, Cool Wakushima and her family moved from Japan to New Zealand when she was eight, and Queenstown was the perfect place for the snowboard-loving family to settle. Like Sadowski-Synnott, the 19-year-old is competing in the big air and slopestyle in Beijing, the latter event shaping up to be Wakushima’s best chance for a medal. Her most recent run in Switzerland saw her finish fifth, her best World Cup placing yet. Wakushima was “genuinely so surprised and stoked” about her second run, even covering her face in shock during the run when she landed her final trick.
When to watch:
Snowboard slopestyle - Saturday 5th, 3.45pm; finals Sunday 6th, 2.30pm
Snowboard big air - Monday 14th, 2.30pm; finals Tuesday 15th, 2.30pm
New Zealand men
Ben Barclay - Freeski big air, Monday 7th, finals Wednesday 9th; freeski slopestyle, Monday 14th, finals Tuesday 15th.
Finn Bilous - Freeski big air, Monday 7th, final Wednesday 9th; freeski slopestyle, Monday 14th, finals Tuesday 15th.
Tiarn Collins - Snowboard slopestyle, Sunday 6th, final Monday 7th; snowboard big air, Monday 14th, final Tuesday 15th.
Ben Harrington - Freeski halfpipe, Thursday 17th; final Saturday 19th.
Gustav Legnavsky - Freeski halfpipe, Thursday 17th, finals Saturday 19th.
Peter Michael - Speed skating 5000m final, Sunday 6th; speed skating 1500m final, Tuesday 8th.
Miguel Porteous - Freeski halfpipe, Thursday 17th, finals Saturday 19th.
Nico Porteous - Freeski halfpipe, Thursday 17th, finals Saturday 19th.
Campbell Wright - Biathlon 20km, finals Tuesday 8th; 10km sprint and biathlon 12.5km pursuit.
* You can catch all the action on Sky Sport's six Olympic channels, or through a special Sky Sport Now Winter Olympics pass. Coverage is also free to air on Prime, with highlights and best moments free to access on Sky Sport’s YouTube channel.
