Kiwis aim to heat up Winter Olympics
While most of us have been finding way to cool down over summer, our Winter Olympians are only just heating up.
Christchurch pair Carlos Garcia Knight and Jamie Prebble, along with 19 other Kiwi medal hopefuls, have arrived in Pyeongchang, South Korea, for the world’s biggest snow sports event.
Garcia Knight kicks off the Kiwi effort tomorrow along with Tiarn Collins in the men’s snowboard slopestyle event – both serious contenders for New Zealand’s second ever Winter Olympics medal.
It was 25 years ago when alpine skier and Christchurch woman Annelise Coberger claimed a silver in the alpine skiing slalom at the 1992 Games in Albertville, France.
Garcia Knight began snowboarding at Mt Hutt at the age of 11, but quickly emerged as an international talent by winning a silver medal in slopestyle at the FIS Snowboard junior world championships and claiming fourth place at the slopestyle World Cup. In September, he grabbed his first World Cup medal with a bronze at the 2017 Winter Games NZ.
Fellow Christchurch athlete and former Christchurch Boys’ High School student Prebble will compete in the ski cross race on February 21.
In doing so Prebble becomes the first ski-cross racer to compete in the heart-skipping discipline as a Kiwi Olympian.
The 26-year-old will reach speeds of up to 80kmh and has been in stellar form for the past two seasons leading in to his first Winter Olympic Games. His 2017 Northern Hemisphere season ended on a high when he took a silver medal finish at the World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain.
Prebble is sure the games will be more intense than what he has already experienced as a snowsports athlete, but believes he has
done the preparation in the Northern Hemisphere circuit.
‘‘I am expecting it to be a different beast than any other event. I think everyone goes into the games wanting to win so to say that is my goal is a bit generic.
‘‘[It’s my] first Olympics and I am pumped for it. Ever since my childhood I wanted to compete at the Olympics, so to have it come true after such a long journey of hard work is a lifetime dream turning into reality. I can’t wait to represent New Zealand and make the country proud.’’
South Korea will host the event which runs until February 25, with over 3000 athletes from 95 nations competing across seven sports, 15 disciplines and 102 events.
With 21 athletes competing under the New Zealand flag, this is the country’s biggest Winter Olympics contingent. The previous largest was 18 at Torino, Italy, in 2006.
Garcia Knight’s slopestyle qualification round begins tomorrow at 2pm (NZT). You can like it, or laugh at it, but with Super Rugby just around the corner it pays to keep an eye on the Brisbane Global Tens tournament.
Staged at Suncorp Stadium today and tomorrow, the event comprises five Kiwi Super Rugby teams, four from Aussie, a couple of club sides from France and Japan and another representing Fiji.
Given some of the whacky selections, it can be difficult to keep a straight face when scrolling through the squads, but it doesn’t hurt to keep an open mind when reaching for the TV remote to indulge in some summer rugby.
None of the New Zealand teams comprise any current All Blacks because they are still on leave, while other key players have stayed at home to focus on training for the 15-man game.
You just hope some proud rugby men will leave the ground with their dignity intact.
This hybrid form of the code is all about pace, fitness and the ability to make fast decisions while on the brink of exhaustion. So why former All Blacks tighthead prop Carl Hayman, who played the last of his 45 tests in 2007, has been asked to play in the steamy Queensland conditions is anyone’s guess.
Hayman, 38, has been included in the French club side Pau, which also comprises former All Blacks Conrad Smith and Colin Slade.
Ex-all Blacks playmaker ‘‘King’’ Carlos Spencer will also run around for the Blues, while former Wallabies Andrew Walker (Brumbies), Andrew Frier (Rebels) are others to be rolled out.
Staged for the first time in 2017, the tournament was played in blistering hot conditions which proved of great discomfort to players and spectators alike. This year games have been scheduled to start later in the day.
The Chiefs beat the Crusaders 12-5 in the final last year.
Here are 10 players to keep an eye on in Brisbane:
CARLOS SPENCER (Blues)
Good grief. At 42 years of age ‘‘King Carlos’’ cannot expect to dip into a bag full of tricks, as he once did when he ruled Eden Park. Father time won’t allow that. Playmaker Spencer played his last test for the All Blacks in 2004. He looks in great nick, though.
CONRAD SMITH (Pau)
The last time we saw Smith in the All Blacks’ uniform was when he was replaced by Sonny Bill Williams during the halftime break of the World Cup final in 2015. He wasn’t happy about it either, and who could blame him? Now Smith, 36, returns with the French club he joined after the global tournament.
ELLIOT DIXON (Highlanders)
The former All Black didn’t have a memorable 2017. After three test appearances the previous year, flanker Dixon failed to breach the standards that demanded selection for the national side. Playing tens should suit the athletic back rower.
TYREL LOMAX (Highlanders)
NZ Rugby won the fight for prop Lomax. A year ago he was contracted to the Rebels and had played for the Australian under-20 side in the world championships. Then NZ Rugby came knocking. Now Lomax is providing depth on the tighthead side of the scrum.
JULIAN SAVEA (Hurricanes)
Rugby players are trained by PR types to babble cliches. Words like ‘‘challenges’’, ‘‘processes’’ and ‘‘goals’’ are often woven into statements to send us all into snoozeland. Savea needs to do all his yapping on the paddock if he is to win a recall by the All Blacks selectors. Simple as that.
JONE MACILAI (Crusaders)
There’s no shortage of speed in the Crusaders squad: George Bridge, Manasa Mataele and Braydon Ennor are among those who former All Blacks selector Earle Kirton would call ‘‘Gassy Guys’’. Macilai has also got some toe. Hardly sighted in Super Rugby last because of injury.
WILL GENIA (Rebels)
The halfback was one of the Wallabies best last year. Returned from playing club footy in France and blew away any doubts as to whether he was just coming back to Aussie to coast. Should be a decent buy for the Rebels.
DIGBY IOANE (Panasonic Wild Knights)
The Crusaders didn’t get much mileage out of ‘‘Diggers’’ last season because of injuries. Now he is playing under Robbie Deans in Japan. Ioane is an entertainer, and still loves to score tries. Age isn’t on his side but he’s an enthusiastic type.
TAQELE (Waratahs)
This bloke is a tank. He remains in the Sydney-based side as coach Daryl Gibson searches for the answer to the problems that beset the team during their miserable run in Super Rugby last year. If he in good shape, Naiyaravoro, at around 120kg, can be a beast.
ANDREW (Brumbies) NAIYARAVORO WALKER
In 1992 Walker made his NRL firstgrade debut for the St George Dragons and eight years later he hopped over to the rah-rah code when he was signed by the Brumbies. In 2004 he was back with the leaguies, playing for the Manly Sea Eagles. At 44 he’s no pup.