Another historic achievement for Sadowski-Synnott

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has capped her year of historic achievement with another breakthrough. 

The Wānaka snowboarder, who soared to New Zealand’s first Winter Olympics gold medal in Beijing, was presented with the Lonsdale Cup yesterday. 

The trophy, awarded annually since 1961, honours the athlete or team deemed to have made the outstanding contribution to an Olympic or Commonwealth Games sport.

Sadowski-Synnott (21) became the first Winter Olympian to win the Lonsdale Cup, following in the footsteps of the likes of Summer Olympians such as five-time recipient Dame Valerie Adams, canoeing star Dame Lisa Carrington (three times), Otago swimming great Danyon Loader and athletics immortal Peter Snell.

An intimate crowd gathered at the Wānaka lakefront yesterday for the presentation.

Sadowski-Synnott acknowledged the crowd of supporters.

"It’s really an honour to be holding this given the likes of everyone who has been awarded this cup," she said.

"I can’t really believe it. Looking at some of the names on this trophy makes it pretty real just how much history there is behind this award and just how special this is."

Sadowski-Synnott’s extraordinary year started with her victory in the snowboard slopestyle at the Winter Olympics.

She added a silver in the big air to complete the medal set, after claiming bronze in the big air as a 16-year-old in Pyeongchang in 2018.

The Sean Thompson-coached snowboarder had gone to Beijing as a hot favourite for a medal after her most successful northern hemisphere season, reaching the podium in every event she entered.

As well as her Olympic medals, she won two golds and two silvers in the world championships, and four golds, two silvers and a bronze at the invitation-only Winter X Games.

Snow Sports NZ chief executive Nic Cavanagh said it was not solely what Sadowski-Synnott had achieved, but how she had achieved it.

"You’re a fiercely competitive world champion," Cavanagh said.

"What you do is you’re able to balance that with genuine regard for your competitors.

"Being able to balance that competitiveness and having joy in seeing other people achieve their goals and aspirations is a really unique mix.

"What you do is inspiring and I know I speak on behalf of the whole community, and wider snowsports community ... we are so incredibly proud of you."

New Zealand Olympic Committee chief executive Nicki Nicol presented Sadowski-Synnott with the trophy.

"The Lonsdale Cup is the Olympic Committee’s most prestigious award," she said.

"Zoi, you’re a leader in your sport, and inspire many young New Zealanders, particularly young women, to live healthier lives and follow their dreams."

The inaugural recipient of the Lonsdale Cup was Olympic 5000m champion Murray Halberg, who died last month.

- By Aspen Bruce