Zoi Sadowski-Synnott Wins Winter Olympics NZ-First

Wanaka’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, 20, stood on top of the podium in women’s snowboard slopestyle at the Beijing Olympics last week, winning the first-ever Winter Games gold medal for New Zealand, Reuters reports.

Cheers erupted in the stands after Sadowski-Synnott’s run and two other medallists piled on top of her to congratulate her.

“Could not be more proud right now,” the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Teams quickly tweeted after Sadowski-Synnott’s win as she scored an impressive 92.88 on her final run.

The snowboarder was the first woman this year to land a back-to-back frontside double 1080 and backside double 1080 in competition.

Original article by Reuters, February 6, 2022.