Zoi Sadowski-Synnott competes in the snowboard women’s big air qualification at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Photo: AFP
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has made a loud statement to start to her Winter Olympic campaign, topping qualifying for the women’s Snowboard Big Air.
The three-time Olympic medallist produced the best run of the day early on at Livigno Snow Park in Northern Italy, unleashing a score of 90.0 in a superbly-executed first run.
It ensures she’ll be among the women to beat in Tuesday morning’s 12-woman final.
Her score wasn’t matched for the remainder of the two-and-a-half hour session, with her highly-technical backside 1260 – which included three-and-a-half revolutions – the standout performance.
Sadowski-Synnott appeared relaxed and happy as all six judges scored the run an identical 90.0, handing the Kiwi a lead she wasn’t to lose.
Sadowski-Synnott followed up with the fourth-best score in the second round of 82.25, and the seventh-best score in the third round – also 82.25.
It gave the 24-year-old an overall tally of 172.25 – a combination of her two best scoring runs.
It was enough to see off Japan’s Murase Kokomo tally of 171.25, with Briton Mia Brookes third (167.00).
“I’m so stoked, I couldn’t be happier to make it into the final,” Sadowski-Synnott told Sky Sport.
“I was pretty nervous coming into tonight, I’m not going to lie. Because it feels like even more competition when you’ve got the full field.
“To put it down and make it through, I’m super-happy. I just hope I can do the tricks that I’ve been planning to do (in the final).”
New Zealand’s Lucia Georgalli competes in the snowboard women’s big air qualification during the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Photo: AFP
New Zealand’s Lucia Georgalli missed a place in the 12-woman final, finishing 25th in the 29-strong field with a score of 117.00.
Georgalli was 11th after the first run but lacked rhythm in her second and didn’t land her third.
Wānaka’s Sadowski-Synnott is competing in her third Olympics and is chasing her first Big Air gold.
She competed in her first Big Air World Cup in 2016 at the age of 15 and made her mark in 2017 with a World Championship silver medal in slopestyle.
A year later, she competed at the Pyeongchang Olympics, claiming a bronze medal in the Big Air.
New Zealand snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
In Beijing 2022, she made history as the first Kiwi to ever win a Winter Olympic gold medal when she won the snowboard slopestyle title. She followed that up just days later with a silver medal in the Big Air.
On Saturday, Sadowski-Synnott and freeski athlete Ben Barclay were the New Zealand flagbearers at the opening ceremony.
The pair were formally announced as Ngā Pou Hāpai Tāne and Wahine (male and female flagbearers) during a special team gathering at New Zealand Lodge in the Italian town of Livigno.
NZ Team Ngā Pou Hāpai (flag bearers) snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (L) and freeski athlete Ben Barclay (R).
Photo: Supplied / New Zealand Olympic Committee
Sadowski-Synnott said she felt “very honoured” to be selected.
“To share this with Beano (Ben) who I’ve spent a lot of my career with, not only on my snowboard but off it too, is special. He’s just an all-round great human being and I’m proud to be sharing this moment with him,” she said.
“I just hope to lead the NZ Team in a way that can make everyone proud, it means a lot to me,” she said.
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