You beauties! Two teens, two bronze medals

Two Wanaka teenagers have brought New Zealand snow sports international kudos by nabbing two bronze medals in two hours at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott became New Zealand’s youngest Olympic medallist yesterday when she picked up bronze in the women’s big-air finals in South Korea. Just two hours later, Nico Porteous took the youngest title off her with his bronze in the men’s ski halfpipe.

The pair are both 16 years old.

It was a sensational afternoon for New Zealanders who had been waiting 26 years since the country’s first and only Winter Olympics medal – a silver won by alpine skier Annelise Coberger in the women’s slalom in 1992 in Albertville, France.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern acknowledged the scale of yesterday’s achievements when she posted on Twitter: ‘‘Huge congratulations to snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott for your bronze medal win! You’ve done us so proud.’’

Soon after, she tweeted out another message of congratulations: ‘‘And another one! Well done @nicoporteous, our youngest ever medal winner too!’’

Fourth and fifth placings have been gained at PyeongChang by New Zealand’s speed-skating trio, speed skater Peter Michael, snowboarder Carlos Garcia Knight, and yesterday by Beau-James Wells in the same event as Porteous.

So it was of with great significance when two of the three youngest Kiwis in South Korea left it to the third-to-last day to surprise themselves and New Zealand with two medals in a row.

‘‘I’ve been giving it everything I got and training as hard as I can. For me to do the two best runs of my life back to back, that’s insane,’’ said Porteous, who only days before was near tears when his older brother missed the finals qualifications mark.

‘‘As you could tell, I had no clue that was coming. I was happy with the way I skied and it was something I could be proud of. For the judges to reflect that, it’s insane.’’

Sadowski-Synnott was also overwhelmed by her achievement.

‘‘I just wanted to do as well as I can and put down something I am proud of.’’

‘‘Huge congratulations to Snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott for your bronze medal win! You’ve done us so proud.’’

‘‘And another one! Well done @nicoporteous, our youngest ever medal winner too!’’ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tweets her congratulations

In two hectic hours, a pair of teenagers gave New Zealand one of its greatest days in Olympic history.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES New Zealand bronze medalist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott celebrates during the victory ceremony after the snowboard women’s big-air final yesterday. Fellow South Islander Nico Porteous reacts to winning bronze during the men’s skiing halfpipe final.