Record-sized NZ Winter Olympics team named

The addition of rising 16-year-old alpine skier Alice Robinson helps boost the New Zealand team for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to a record size.

New Zealand will field its biggest contingent at a Winter Olympics after five more athletes completed a 21-strong team.

Sixteen-year-old alpine ski racer Alice Robinson was the most notable inclusion among the final intake to the team who compete in PyeongChang next month.

She will become New Zealand's youngest winter Olympian, born eight days after freeskier teammate Nico Porteous. She will contest the slalom and giant slalom.

Also added were 25-year-old alpine ski racers Adam Barwood and Willis Feasey, whose events are the slalom, giant slalom and super-G. Barwood competed at the Sochi Games four years ago.

Completing the team are freeski halfpipe athlete Britt Hawes and snowboard cross racer Duncan Campbell.

New Zealand Chef de Mission Pete Wardell says the increased size of the team doesn't reflect any sort of loosening in the qualifying criteria.

"The Olympic Games environment is extremely tough and to meet the selection standards set by the New Zealand Olympic Committee is an achievement itself," he said.

"The fact we are sending our biggest team ever shows the increasing depth of talent and skill in New Zealand's winter sport high performance community."

The previous largest Kiwi team was 18 at the 2006 Games in Torino.

A leading world junior, Queenstown skier Robinson virtually sealed her selection with victory in the giant slalom at a North America Cup event in Canada in December.

The FIS ranking points Robinson accrued were the most by any Kiwi in their first year of senior international competition.

She had surpassed all of her ranking and result goals in 2017.

"Starting my first year of FIS (open grade racing) this season, the idea of the Olympics seemed like a long shot, so I am so happy that my results over the past six months paid off and gave me a spot on the team," she said.

Robinson will compete at the junior world championships starting in Switzerland on Monday.

The Kiwi team features 17 men, dominated by free-skiing hopefuls, most notably three brothers from the Wells family - Jackson, Byron and Beau-James.

NZ 2018 Winter Olympics team:

Men: Adam Barwood (giant slalom, slalom, Super-G), Finn Bilous (freeski slopestyle), Duncan Campbell (snowboardcross), Tiarn Collins (snowboard slopestyle, snowboard big air), Shane Dobbin (ice speed skating 10,000m), Carlos Garcia Knight (snowboard slopestyle, snowboard big air), Willis Feasey (giant slalom, slalom, Super-G), Reyon Kay (ice speed skating mass start and 1500m), Peter Michael (ice speed skating mass start, 5000m and 1500m), Miguel Porteous (freeski halfpipe), Nico Porteous (freeski halfpipe), Jamie Prebble (ski cross), Rakai Tai (snowboard halfpipe), Rhys Thornbury (skeleton), Beau-James Wells (freeski halfpipe), Jackson Wells (freeski slopestyle), Byron Wells (freeski halfpipe).

Women: Britt Hawes (freeski halfpipe), Janina Kuzma (freeski halfpipe), Zoi Sadowski Synnott (snowboard slopestyle, snowboard big air), Alice Robinson (giant slalom, slalom).


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Source: AAP


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Record-sized NZ Winter Olympics team named | SBS News