Winter Olympics in his sights

Sam Hazeldine speeds around a banked turn while training on the ski-cross course at Cardrona...
Sam Hazeldine speeds around a banked turn while training on the ski-cross course at Cardrona Alpine Resort, in preparation for 2009's Winter Games - in which the ski-cross event was cancelled due to bad weather. Hazeldine is back and preparing for this year's games, with the 2014 Winter Olympics in his sights. Photo by Matthew Haggart.
After not competing professionally in ski cross since 2003, former national champion Sam Hazeldine knew he had to give it another go after watching the last Olympic Games.

In 2003, the Queenstown-based doctor won the NZ Extreme Ski Championships and NZ Ski Cross Championships and was overall Freeskier champion, but in that year he decided to focus on his career.

After a head injury in 2004 - on top of an earlier life-threatening one in 2002 - he focused on work, in 2006 founding MedRecruit, a company finding work placements for doctors throughout Australia and New Zealand.

However, the 32-year-old now has his eyes set on Winter Olympics glory again, in this month's Winter Games, and has his 11-month-old daughter, Zara, to thank for it.

"I watched the last Olympics and realised it was a dream I had . . . and we tell our children we can do anything we want in our lives.

"If I could try to go to the Olympics and do everything I can to try and achieve that . . . I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try to do that."

He said his attempt for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi would not be possible were it not for his family and in particular his wife, Claire.

Hazeldine was set to compete in the inaugural Winter Games in 2009.

However, the ski-cross event at Cardrona was cancelled due to bad weather. Now he was training hard and "looking forward" to this month's Winter Games New Zealand event, which was an important stepping stone for his Olympic goal.

A strong placing at the Winter Games would earn him valuable FIS (International Ski Federation) points to help him on his way to the world championships.

He was also looking to take home points from the Intercontinental Cup in Australia the weekend before that event, bringing him one step closer to his goal.

"I need to get enough points in the three races this year to get into the World Cup and then make sure I'm in the top 30 by 2013 for the Olympics.

And then come first," Hazeldine added.

At 32, he had to make sure he was physically at his peak for competing with a field with an average age of about 27.

But with seniority, he said, came the benefits of experience.


Sam Hazeldine

Sport: Ski cross.
Age: 32.
Winter Games events: Ski cross.
Previous competitions: 2003 winner of NZ Extreme Ski Championships, NZ Ski Cross Championships, and overall freeskier champion.
Occupation: Managing director MedRecruit.
Lives: Queenstown.


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