Warm welcome for winter athletes
MORE than 900 athletes were welcomed to the 2018 New Zealand Winter Games in Wanaka last night with a stunning sunset glistening across Lake Wanaka.
A parade of nations along the lakefront to Pembroke Park began proceedings, before Sports Minister Grant Robertson, Queenstown Lakes District Council Mayor Jim Boult and International Ski Federation secretarygeneral Sarah Lewis were in attendance to officially open the sixth games.
The Wanaka Primary School kapa haka group welcomed the teams with a waiata and haka.
Mr Boult took the time to acknowledge the ‘‘worldclass’’ winter sports facilities in the district and wished the athletes well for the games.
Mr Robertson thanked all of the organisers and volunteers at the games, but saved special praise for Winter Games chairman Sir Eion Edgar.
‘‘Without his vision these games would not happen.’’
The minister said it was ‘‘heartening’’ to know that 25 of the 30 medalists in freeski and snowboard events at February’s Olympic Games would be taking part.
‘‘This is an event that the New Zealand Government is extremely proud to support. The growth of the games since 2009 is something to behold.’’
‘‘It is truly an inspiring event.’’ About 930 athletes will compete in six sports over two weeks.
The feature event of the games is the freeski and snowboard junior world championships, which will play host to over 350 athletes from 30 nations.
Ms Lewis described it as the ‘‘premier event on the calendar for the best freeski and snowboard athletes in the world’’.
CURLING is back and better than ever at Naseby with this year’s New Zealand Winter Games.
Thirteen international mixeddoubles teams will be competing at the Maniototo international curling rink from tomorrow until Thursday in what is the first world curling tour event ever to be held in the southern hemisphere.
Many of the teams have strong credentials, including Team Canada’s Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing, who boast five world titles between them, while Jones also won Olympic gold in Sochi in 2014.
But that does not faze the New Zealand teams, who are raring to get out on the ice.
Bridget and Sean Becker have the best international record of the Kiwi teams, highlighted by a world championship silver in 2010. They have also medalled twice at Winter Games, with bronze in 2011 and silver in 2013.
Bridget Becker has competed at every Winter Games since the first edition in 2009.
‘‘We get the top international teams coming to New Zealand, curling on our ice. It’s always good, seeing old friends and making new ones, and the curling is always top level.
‘‘We want to enjoy it, and we always want to improve. Curling with Sean for the first time in a long time, it should be fun.’’
Elsewhere it is a Winter Games debut for Maniototo locals Anton Hood and Holly Thompson, both still in the junior, under21 ranks.
‘‘We’re stoked about playing an international competition on home ice . . . and against some of the very best international sides,’’ Hood said.
‘‘We’ve been training together every weekend since we were selected just a couple of months ago.
‘‘But we’ve only had one tournament together, and that was our nationals. We’d just like to play well this week.’’
Pool play takes place from tomorrow through to Wednesday, and the medals are decided on Thursday.