Snow Sports NZ is celebrating a $20 million Government investment to prepare winter sports athletes for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
The funding was announced by Sports Minister Grant Robertson yesterday and includes new funding for biathlon, luge and freeride disciplines.
The financial boost follows New Zealand’s best results at the Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics this year, which were immediately backed up by junior athletes competing in other international events.
Wanaka athletes Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Nico Porteous claimed New Zealand’s first Winter Games gold medals in China and Paralympian Corey Peters bagged a gold medal in the alpine sit-ski category.
Sadowski-Synnott and Peters also won silver medals, while Wanaka’s Adam Hall won two bronze medals.
"New Zealand’s unprecedented success at the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games earlier this year reflects the raft of young talent emerging across winter sports," Mr Robertson said.
"This investment will support the winter sports’ high-performance campaigns, build on the development of athlete and coach pathways and wellbeing initiatives and help provide facilities for our top winter sports athletes and para-athletes to compete consistently at the highest level."
Snow Sports NZ chief executive officer Nic Cavanagh said the increase in investment for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic cycle, along with the first time investments, was "fantastic".
"This allows us to support deeper down the pathway with both a high performance and wellbeing-focused approach for our athletes and staff, whilst maintaining tailored support to our medal-capable campaigns."
Wanaka-based Snow Sports NZ will receive an average annual increase of $1.6 million in funds, while Ice Speed Skating NZ will get an increase of $66,000.
The new funding for biathlon, luge and freeride will support athletes such as Wanaka’s Olympian biathlete Campbell Wright and freeride world tour title holder Jess Hotter.
A total of $14.3 million of funding will go into national sporting organisations to support their Winter Olympic and Paralympic campaigns and athlete and coach development.
Direct financial support of $3 million will be provided for athletes through the Tailored Athlete Pathway Support programme.
Another $3 million is being provided for High Performance Sport New Zealand performance support services, such as medical, performance nutrition and performance and technique analysis.
Cardrona skifield’s new dry slope training facility will also get $390,000.
