Latest news with #SnowSportsNewZealand
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
Heavy snowfall welcome start for athletes with Winter Olympics on horizon
Heavy snowfall has marked the start of an exciting ski season in Wanaka as New Zealand athletes work to get into peak condition with only eight months left until the Winter Olympics. Ten centimetres of snow covered the Cardrona and Treble Cone skifields yesterday morning and more snow is forecast for today. This year the skifields will play host not only to tourists but also snowsport athletes, who will be working hard to prepare for the Milan Winter Olympics being held in February next year. Snow Sports New Zealand head coach park and pipe Tom Willmott said the organisation had 20 athletes in its park and pipe pathway and the goal for this season was to fine-tune their performance in preparation for the Olympics. "It's all about being in peak performance by the games. So we're not making mega shifts and improvements, but we're probably fine-tuning people's performances," he said. Although there will be no elite winter games or events this year, athletes can look forward to the Continental Cup series at Remarkables and Cardrona in August this year. Willmott said most New Zealand athletes, including medallists Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Luca Harrington, were in Europe or North America at present, either taking time off or engaging in summer training until July. Once they returned, their training would include some gym time, field practice and even workshops to mentally prepare them for the Olympics, he said. "We've got some workshops delivered by the New Zealand Olympic Committee, which is all about getting the team together, building the team and connecting to our unique Kiwi roots." To prepare for a busy season of training Snow Sports NZ had planned to open a dry slopes facility in Wanaka on Monday but the opening had been postponed due to the weather, he said. This did bring up the usual concern around snowfall for the season as it would impact the training facilities, Willmott said. "There's always a concern about what Mother Nature is going to deliver ... The quality of our facilities can be impacted by the volume of snow that we get but there's some good signs out there right now." Cardrona and Treble Cone skifields general manager Laura Hedley said the snowguns would be working hard over the next few days. "We know how important a pre-Olympic season is, and for us making sure we have the best training facilities possible is a real source of pride for our team," she said. The Cardrona and Treble Cone fields are set to open on June 14 with a new lift and terrain at the Soho Basin. The summer was a busy time for the team as they worked towards opening two new lifts, a redesigned base area and 150ha of new terrain to ski and ride. "We've undertaken a massive development project over the last few months, and there are still a few pieces to complete in the next week or so — but we have a fantastic team," she said.
Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
High-class field vying for title of Otago's best
From snowboarding to surfing — the best of the best will be honoured at the Otago Sports Awards this year. The finalists for the awards, organised by Sport Otago, have been revealed, with the judges sifting through more than 90 nominations, showing the breadth of Otago's sporting talent. Up for sportsman of the year are kayaker Finn Butcher, freeskier Luca Harrington and Black Cap Glenn Phillips. Harrington, after starting the year as an X Games alternate, burst on to the scene to finish with a remarkable five world cup podiums, including X Games gold, a world championship and New Zealand's first FIS Freeski Crystal Globe. Phillips had another big season with the Black Caps, including playing at the Champions Trophy, and Butcher will long be remembered for his Olympic heroics as he won gold in the kayak cross in Paris. Sportswoman of the year will also be a tight contest between snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, swimmer Erika Fairweather and alpine skier Alice Robinson. Returning from injury, Sadowski-Synnott had a stellar year, with several world cup podium finishes, landing the world's first triple cork in a women's slopestyle competition and winning the FIS Snowboarding Crystal Globe. Fairweather, who recently moved to Auckland, swam in four finals at the Olympics, narrowly missing the podium in her specialist 400m freestyle, and Robinson continued her form with podium finishes and was named Snow Sports New Zealand athlete of the year. Skiing veteran Adam Hall and athletic stars Holly Robinson, and Anna Grimaldi are nominated for para athlete/team of the year. Hall produced several world cup podium finishes, while Robinson and Grimaldi collected world championship and Paralympic medals. Grimaldi won T47 long jump silver and 100m bronze at the world para athletics championships, and backed up with gold in the 200m at the Paralympics, with an Oceania record, and bronze in the 100m. Robinson set a national record when she won silver in the women's F46 shot put at the world championships and won bronze in the shot put at the Paralympics. Team of the year will be another hotly contested category between the Otago Sparks, the Southern Stampede and the Otago men's 4x100m relay team. Finley Melville Ives (freeskiing), James Gardner (cycling) and Rocco Jamieson (snowboarding) are up for junior sportsman, while Ruby Star Andrews (freeskiing), Catherine Lund (athletics) and Ella Southby (netball) will battle for junior sportswoman. The next crop of Otago's future stars will also be recognised, with Alexis Owen (surfing), Mason Clarke (cricket), Phoebe Laker (athletics), Josh Grieve (cycling) and Joel Paterson (ice hockey) nominated for emerging talent. Michael Jacobs (athletics), Sean Thompson (snowboarding) and Nils Coberger and Tim Cafe (skiing) have been nominated for coach of the year, and Raylene Bates (athletics), Chris Gaffaney (cricket) and James Doleman (rugby) are up for official of the year. Services to sport, innovation in sport and the supreme award will be announced at the awards. "It is so exciting to see Otago's best athletes, officials and coaches continuing to shine on the national and international stage, with an exceptional lineup across all of the categories for 2025," Sport Otago chief executive James Nation said. "The Otago sporting community should be super proud of the calibre of finalists chasing bragging rights." The awards are judged by Nation, Otago Academy of Sport manager Carmel Leslie, Otago Daily Times sports editor Hayden Meikle, TVNZ sports reporter Michelle Prendiville and University of Otago pro vice-chancellor health sciences Megan Gibbons. The awards will be held at the Edgar Centre on June 13. Otago Sports Awards finalists Sportsman: Glenn Phillips (cricket), Luca Harrington (freeski), Finn Butcher (canoeing). Sportswoman: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snowboarding), Erika Fairweather (swimming), Alice Robinson (skiing). Team: Otago Sparks (cricket), Southern Stampede (ice hockey), Otago 4x100m relay (athletics). Para athlete/team of the year: Adam Hall (skiing), Holly Robinson (athletics), Anna Grimaldi (athletics). Junior sportsman: Finley Melville Ives (freeskiing), James Gardner (cycling), Rocco Jamieson (snowboarding). Junior sportswoman: Ruby Star Andrews (freesking) Catherine Lund (athletics), Ella Southby (netball). Coach: Michael Jacobs (athletics), Sean Thompson (snowboarding), Nils Coberger and Tim Cafe (skiing). Official: Raylene Bates (athletics), Chris Gaffaney (cricket), James Doleman (rugby). Emerging talent: Alexis Owen (surfing), Mason Clarke (cricket), Phoebe Laker (athletics), Josh Grieve (cycling), Joel Paterson (ice hockey).
