Porteous calls time on Olympic career
Wānaka's defending Olympic champion Nico Porteous is stepping back from Olympic competition and will no longer compete in freeski halfpipe.
The 23-year-old is New Zealand's most successful male snow sports athlete and leaves the sport as one of the most decorated halfpipe athletes in history.
'I've loved representing New Zealand. Wearing the fern and competing for my country has been the most incredible experience and I'm so proud of what I've achieved,' Porteous said.
'This wasn't an easy decision to make but I'm excited to do something new and I feel like the time is right for me to look for a new challenge and new opportunities.'
Despite stepping away from halfpipe competition, Porteous is not retiring from skiing. He plans to maintain his level of skiing and remain active in the sport through filming, product development, and other competitive events.
'I still love skiing and I want to keep skiing to the best of my abilities and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the sport.
'Ultimately, I'm ready for something new. What that looks like I'm not exactly sure but over the past few seasons I've enjoyed filming and producing videos, as well as working on gear and product design.
'There are also other events, like Natural Selection Ski, that I'm keen to explore. I'm open to new opportunities and excited to see what the next chapter looks like.'
Porteous made history for New Zealand in 2022, landing a right and left double corked 1620 combination to win Olympic gold in the halfpipe at the Beijing Winter Games.
Four years earlier, he stomped a stunning run to win bronze as a 16-year-old at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.
His career highlights also include two X-Games gold medals, a World Championship title, and five World Cup medals. Porteous is widely credited with helping to drive the progression and creativity of freeski halfpipe and inspire a new generation of Kiwi snow sports athletes.
'What I've achieved wouldn't have been possible without an amazing team of people behind me.
'First of all, I'd like to thank my family for all their support. Mum and Dad have made this dream come true, and getting to ski alongside my brother Miguel has been such a cool experience.
'My sponsors have been a huge part of my journey, and I'm so grateful for their support. Snow Sports New Zealand and High Performance Sport NZ have also played such an important role and the results I've had wouldn't have happened without their help.'
Porteous says he wishes the Snow Sports NZ team well and will be cheering them on in Milan.
'It's super inspiring to see this new batch of athletes coming through. The future of the sport is looking really bright in New Zealand and I can't wait to see them in action in Milano Cortina.'
Snow Sports New Zealand CEO Nic Cavanagh congratulated Porteous on his career and acknowledged his significant contribution to his sport both in New Zealand and internationally.
- APL
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Wanaka wonder Nico Porteous has no regrets as he closes the book on a big chapter in his life. The two-time Winter Olympic medallist announced yesterday he was stepping back from the freeski halfpipe and Olympic competition, as he looked to explore new opportunities including his passion in film. While Porteous — New Zealand's most successful male snow sports athlete and defending Olympic champion — will walk away from the halfpipe, he intends to maintain his level of skiing and explore other avenues, including Natural Selection Ski. The 23-year-old loved representing New Zealand and told the Otago Daily Times he was content with his decision. "I feel really good," he said. "Since making this decision last year it's sort of just been sitting on it and wanted to make sure that it was the right one. "I feel really comfortable around that and it's been nice." Confirming his future eight months out from the 2026 Winter Olympics, Porteous said he had been skiing for more than half his life, having started at 10. "All I've known is competitive skiing. "Naturally over time your views and your goals change ... and that's sort of where I feel I am today. "My competitive passion maybe has changed slightly and my goals are different. "I feel that it was the right time to step away while I was still healthy and able to make that decision on my own terms rather than being forced out." Porteous made history when he won halfpipe gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. It added to the bronze he won as a 16-year-old in PyeongChang in 2018. Among his accolades are two X-Games gold medals, a world championship title and five World Cup medals. Olympic glory was top of the list — "I don't think much can top that" — but Porteous was also proud of the moments that did not result in medals. "One that stands out that wasn't maybe on the results front is ... being able to experience all the times that I got with my brother, Miguel. "Getting to compete alongside him, and being able to share those moments with your family is pretty unique." Having the support of his hometown, Wanaka, had been special and he counted himself lucky to call it home. Alongside skiing, Porteous' other passion lay with filming and producing videos, several of which he has released on YouTube, including Step One last year. It is an area he plans to move into, including working on gear and product design. "That's something that I'm really passionate about." Videos had always been a huge part of snow sports, and they inspired Porteous growing up, he said. "It was just a natural progression to move more into making them myself." Porteous, who has recently been based in Tokyo, will return home next month for the upcoming season.
