Juliane Bray. Photo by Matthew Haggart.
The New Zealand contingent is raring to hit the ice, snow
and slopes with top-ten finishes in their sights at the Winter
Olympics kicking off in Vancouver on Friday.
A team of 16 will represent New Zealand in alpine, freestyle
and cross-country skiing, speed and short track skating
skeleton, snowboarding and biathlon at the Games, which run
from February 12-28.
The snowboarding contingent of five is New Zealand's
largest at an Olympics. There are high hopes for good
performances in the halfpipe, with Juliane Bray a key name in
the mix.
Bray, 34, has a solid international record, having finished
16th in the halfpipe at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, and,
more recently, coming fifth in a World Cup event in Stoneham,
Canada, last year.
New Zealand officials also hold out hopes for skeleton racers
Ben Sandford -- who finished 10th and was New Zealand's
highest finisher in Torino -- and Tionette Stoddard -- who
has produced top 20 finishes in her last six World Cup races.
Canada-based Sarah Murphy has grabbed a slice of New Zealand
Olympic history before even starting her event.
The 21-year-old is the first New Zealander to be selected for
the Olympic biathlon, a sport combining rifle shooting with
cross-country skiing.
New Zealand's chef de mission for Vancouver, Peter Wardell,
said he was confident New Zealand could hold their own at the
Games.
"A number of our athletes have had top-ten finishes in World
Cup events, so that means that they're in that top quartile
in their competition," Wardell said.
"We're not saying, 'Look, we've got the number one-ranked
athletes, we're coming for medals'. We're confident our
people will do a fantastic job and if we get them in the top
quarter of their fields that will be fantastic."
However, Wardell did not rule out New Zealand's medal chances
entirely.
"All the athletes like to think they're medal prospects, and,
really, anything can happen. Take skeleton for example. The
difference between the fastest people and our people is only
a few seconds so if we slide slightly better and they slide
slightly worse, suddenly that gap becomes that much less."
He recalled an occasion at the 2002 Games when Australian
Steven Bradbury won gold in the short track speed skating
after the four leaders collided and fell over, while
Bradbury, who had been in last place, avoided the pile-up and
came in first.
"In these sports anything can happen. But if we get people in
the top 10, top 25 or so, depending on the sports, we'd be
absolutely delighted."
Wardell, along with a support crew, arrived in Vancouver late
last month to begin preparations for the athletes, who began
arriving from February 4 and were all due in Vancovuer by
tonight.
The team are based in two separate Olympic villages, with the
alpine athletes staying at Whistler and the remaining members
in Vancouver.
"It'd be much easier for us if they were all in one place and
probably for them. If they were all in one place they'd have
a lot more fun together because they're one team, but that's
the way it is," Wardell said.
"We have a very special day together (tomorrow) when the
local Squamish people are giving us a traditional welcome,
and we're the only team who's receiving that, so that's just
great.
"That's been set up over the past 12 months through
connections between the Squamish people and the local Maori."
With most athletes based in North America and Europe before
the Games, bringing the team together has been a challenge
for Wardell, whose previous Olympic experience included a
trip to Beijing last year when his daughter Rebecca competed
in the heptathlon.
"It's definitely a different experience. In one way the
athletes are a lot more split up, but we've only got 37
people in total, including all the support and coaches, so
it's easier in a way to unite everyone -- we'll get to know
each other much better I think than at the other Games."
Wardell said not all the athletes would have the opportunity
to get together during the competition, but that they would
all be encouraged to support the other New Zealanders in
their spare time and once their own events were completed.
However, New Zealand spirit was far from in short supply,
Wardell said, with many ex-pats ready to welcome the team.
"There're a lot of Kiwi connections here. Lots of Kiwis and
Aussies live here or have been down through New Zealand, so
if they see us walking round with our silver ferns on they'll
all say hi and welcome. It makes you feel fantastic as a
Kiwi," he said.
Wardell said he expected the local New Zealanders to come out
to support their countrymen during the games.
"I think we'll get lots actually. We've already been in
contact with quite a few New Zealanders who are up here and
we'll keep in touch with them and encourage them to come
along. It'll be good."
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