Harrington joins brother on team

Ben Harrington, pictured competing in December last year, will be lining up for the freeski...
Ben Harrington, pictured competing in December last year, will be lining up for the freeski halfpipe at the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina next month. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
The Italian slopes will be a family affair for the Harrington clan.

Ben Harrington was announced yesterday as one of the nine additional athletes selected for the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. It brings the tally of athletes representing New Zealand next month to 17.

The Wanaka freeski halfpipe athlete will wear the fern alongside his brother, Luca, who was named in the first round of selections in October.

"I’m super stoked to join the New Zealand Team for Milano Cortina," Ben Harrington said.

"It’s also pretty cool to be in the same team as my younger brother, Luca — it’s a really special moment for our family.

"Having been to Beijing in 2022, I have an idea of what’s coming in terms of the Olympic set up.

"I’ll be looking to use that experience this time around and hopefully make everyone proud who’s supported me along the way."

Harrington will be joined by Gustave Legnavsky (Wanaka) in the freeski halfpipe; Legnavsky also competed in Beijing as a 16-year-old.

Mischa Thomas (Wanaka) will compete in the freeski halfpipe, brining experience from the Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon in 2024. Thomas had a strong 2025, including winning the European Cup in halfpipe in Corvatsch and the European Cup Premium in slopestyle in Laax.

Sylvia Trotter (Wanaka) — who has top 10 finishes at the Freeski Slopestyle World Cup and Freeski Big Air World Cup in her debut season — and Lucas Ball (Nelson) will compete in the freeski slopestyle and big air.

Lucia Georgalli (Wanaka) has been selected in the women’s snowboard slopestyle and big air. She won silver in the slopestyle and bronze in the big air at in Gangwon.

Central Otago athletes Dane Menzies, Rocco Jamieson (both Wanaka) and Lyon Farrell (Arrowtown) will compete in the men’s snowboard slopestyle and big air.

Menzies finished third at the World Cup in slopestyle earlier this year and finished fourth in slopestyle at the World Cup in Aspen, and fifth in big air at the World Cup in Beijing last year.

Jamieson won bronze in his debut X Games in Aspen last year and had several World Cup podium finishes, while Farrell finished in the top 10 in the Big Air World Cups in the US and China.

They join Luca Harrington, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, Alice Robinson, Fin and Cam Melville Ives, Luke Harrold, Ben Barclay and Ruby Star Andrews.

Snow Sports New Zealand chief executive Nic Cavanagh called the team some of the finest raw talent to emerge from New Zealand.

"We are seeing a crop of fearless young athletes emerge and stamp their mark on the international stage," Cavanagh said.

"Their potential is enormous and this is a chance for New Zealanders to watch and cheer from afar as they showcase what they’ve been working on for many years."

New Zealand Olympic Committee chief executive Nicki Nicol congratulated the athletes.

“We are delighted to have another nine athletes join the team today for what promises to be an action-packed couple of weeks,” Nicol said.

The Winter Olympics run from February 6-22.