Snowsports: Kiwis perform well as games end

Hamish Bagley
Hamish Bagley
New Zealand athletes produced strong performances at the close of competition at the Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, yesterday.

Wanaka's Beau-James Wells (15) was fourth in the freeski halfpipe, Hamish Bagley (15), of Arrowtown, was 10th in the snowboard halfpipe and Wanaka alpine skier Piera Hudson (15) finished 15th in the slalom.

The games have been touted as giving New Zealand's youth team a critical insight into sport at elite and Olympic level.

Hudson is the national champion in giant slalom and junior giant slalom and has been heralded as a rising star in alpine ski racing.

In just her first year on the FIS racing circuit, she was undaunted by the challenge posed by older and more experienced athletes.

Kereyn Smith
Kereyn Smith
Team coach Jonathan Rice said Hudson performed brilliantly in a very experienced slalom field of 54 athletes, dominated by skiers from Slovakia, Canada and Russia.

"Piera was one of only 18 15-year-olds competing in the alpine events at the Youth Olympics. She finished third-fastest of her age-group in the slalom, super G and super combi, an exceptional result which reflects her increasing confidence and ability to perform under pressure amongst strong international competition," Rice said.

New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary-general Kereyn Smith said the inaugural games were significant.

"The combination of competition and culture provides a strong base to the Olympic pathway for young athletes. The Youth Olympic Games open doors for young New Zealand athletes," Smith said.

Youth Olympic Winter Games chef de mission Peter Wardell said while the team did not win any medals, the athletes gained valuable experience.

"For the first time, a lot of these young athletes were able to judge themselves against their peers at an international level. It provided them with a great opportunity and Beau-James Wells and Callum Burns (ice hockey) were right up there placing fourth in their events," Wardell said.

The 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games will be held in Lillehammer, Norway.

The New Zealand team departs Innsbruck today.

 

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