Even though entries for the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games do not open until next week, the first competitor has been signed up: New Zealand ski cross athlete Sam Hazledine, of Queenstown.
Dr Hazledine (32), a former New Zealand freeski champion, extreme ski champion and ski cross champion, has his sights set on a podium at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Winter Games NZ races carry FIS points and Dr Hazledine plans to use any points won to gain a spot on the FIS World Cup circuit for the 2011-12 northern hemisphere season, which could get him into the New Zealand team for Sochi.
"100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games is a fantastic opportunity to race against the current best in the world and earn enough points to qualify for what I want to do.
"There's one spot for a male New Zealander in the World Cup and, hopefully, my results from Winter Games will secure that spot ... At the moment I'm in the best physical shape I've ever been and I've been training hard with the New Zealand alpine ski racing team, together with the Queenstown alpine ski team."
In 2002, Dr Hazledine suffered a life-threatening head injury that put him in a coma for two days. Doctors said he was unlikely to return to medical school and would certainly never ski again.
Within two months, Dr Hazledine was back at medical school and one year later, he won the national freeski title.
• The New Zealand Winter Games will run from August 12 to 28 with a full off-snow festival programme and snow and ice competition in Dunedin, Naseby, Queenstown, Wanaka and Methven.
