At a glance

New Zealand initial squad:

Rakai Tait (US based) Discipline: Snowboard halfpipe Age: 18 Miguel Porteous (Wanaka) Discipline: Freeski halfpipe Age:

18 Nico Porteous (Wanaka) Discipline: Freeski halfpipe Age:

15 Janina Kuzma (Wanaka) Discipline: Freeski halfpipe Age:

32 Finn Bilous (Wanaka) Discipline: Freeski slopestyle Age: 18 Zoi Sadowski Synnott (Wanaka) Discipline: Snowboard slopestyle, Snowboard big air Age: 16 Tiarn Collins (Queenstown) Discipline: Snowboard slopestyle, Snowboard big air Age: 17 Carlos Garcia Knight (Christchurch) Discipline: Snowboard slopestyle, snowboard big air Age: 20 Jamie Prebble (Christchurch) Discipline: Ski cross Age: 26 world championship ski cross silver medallist Jamie Prebble,

26, complete the first selection announcement. Further Pyeongchang 2018 nominations and selections will take place between November and January.

They are expected to include additional freeski and snowboard athletes, as well as athletes who continue to track well from speedskating, skeleton and alpine ski. New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) chief executive Kereyn Smith was delighted to be formally under way with building a team for the Pyeongchang

2018 Olympic Winter Games. ‘‘With just over 100 days to go, we are very pleased to welcome the first athletes to the New Zealand Olympic winter team.

Wanaka-based Wardell, a father of three, said overseeing a bunch of teenagers in South Korea would be a ‘‘bit of a challenge’’.

He had positive expectations about travelling to South Korea, despite the present political climate with North Korea.

‘‘We are advised by Foreign Affairs and the New Zealand Government what we should do or shouldn’t do and nothing has changed.