Snow Sports NZ celebrates successful Olympic Winter Games

The end of the 2018 PyeongChang Games on Sunday evening saw the New Zealand team celebrate its most successful ever Olympic Winter Games.

With a target of one or more medals and multiple finals placings agreed with High Performance Sport NZ in 2014, the results (two bronze medals) have exceeded pre-Games expectations of the Snow Sports NZ High Performance Programme.

Snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and freeskier Nico Porteous both claimed bronze medals in PyeongChang, while Beau-James Wells finished just off the podium in fourth place and Carlos Garcia Knight in fifth. Byron Wells, Finn Bilous, Janina Kuzma, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Carlos Garcia Knight also claimed top 16 results in their respective disciplines.

The results built on improving performances over the last four years with the athletes havind delivered multiple world cup, world championship and premier event results under the leadership of Marty Toomey as Chief Executive and Ashley Light as Performance Director.

On behalf of the Snow Sports NZ Board Chair David Wallace extends congratulations to all of the athletes who competed.

Wallace stated “the success of the PyeongChang 2018 campaign is the result of a well-executed strategy and reflects the calibre of the Snow Sport NZ’s High Performance Programme leadership, its athletes and support staff.”

Coaching has been a key priority and focus for the programme over the last eight years and a watershed shift in 2014 saw the emergence of a team coaching approach headed up by Head Park and Pipe Coach Tom Willmott.

The team coaching approach has allowed athletes to access multiple coaches with complementary skill sets across the board from planning and aerial awareness through to on snow coaching. Ultimately it is the quality of the coaching team that has allowed the athletes to step their way through the pathway meeting targets and winning medals along the way.

With the staff and support in place the ongoing improvement in facilities for the athletes to utilise have been a focus for the programme. Working closely with Sport NZ and HPSNZ the trampoline, gym and recovery facilities have enabled athletes to work on all elements of athleticism. The on-snow facilities with the resort partners Cardrona Alpine Resort, Coronet Peak and Mt Hutt have also made a huge impact on the quality of training available to the athletes.

The inclusion of the landing air bag has seen the biggest breakthrough in the programme’s ability to push skill progression and ensure athlete injury levels are minimised. The air bag was purchased using the facilities grant awarded to SSNZ by Sport NZ to increase the competitive abilities of the athletes. 

Images: PyeongChang Games medallists Nico Porteous and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (top, courtesy of Snow Sports NZ) and PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games closing ceremony (below, courtesy of PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Organising Committee.)

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10th January 2018 - MARTIN TOOMEY APPOINTED CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT WINTER GAMES NZ 

8th May 2015 - REPORT SUGGESTS NEW ZEALAND COULD HOST 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS

22nd August 2014 - MAJOR EVENTS FUND INVESTS IN WINTER GAMES NEW ZEALAND

5th May 2014 - SNOW SPORTS NZ AND CARDRONA ALPINE RESORT SIGN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

4th December 2012 - WINTER GAMES NZ TO DELIVER UNPRECEDENTED INTERNATIONAL MEDIA PROFILE

22nd November 2010 - TARGETED APPROACH RECOMMENDED FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE WINTER SPORTS