History was made in Beijing today when New Zealand won their first Winter Olympic gold medal and Australia won their first medal in snowboard slopestyle.
It was the 16th medal won by Australia at a Winter Olympics and the fifth in a snowboarding discipline.
Gold medalist Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand (left) and bronze medalist Tess Coady of Australia pose for photographs after the Women’s Slopestyle Final during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, in Beijing, China, Sunday. DAN HIMBRECHTS/AAP
New Zealand bred Sedowski-Synnott won bronze in Big Air in PyeongChang 2018 and is now New Zealand’s most decorated Winter Olympian.
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott took her Beijing gold medal on the slopestyle course on her third run (92.88) pushing Julia Marino from the USA to second place (87.68) while Tess Coady held her bronze position also on her third run.
Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand competes in the Women’s Slopestyle Final during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, in Beijing, China, Sunday, February 6, 2022. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Coady, 21, recorded her best score of 84.15 points in the final run of Sunday’s final.
Tess Coady of Australia competes in the Women’s Slopestyle Final during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, in Beijing, China, Sunday, February 6, 2022. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Coady was selected to make her Games debut four years ago in PyeongChang, but was unable to compete after tearing her ACL in a practice run.
Julia Marino (rear) of the USA, Tess Coady (top) of Australia and Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand (bottom) congratulate each other during the Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle final at the Zhangjiakou Genting Snow Park at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games, Beijing municipality, China, 06 February 2022. EPA/Diego Azubel
This is the first time both an Australian and a New Zealander have stood on the podium together at a Winter Olympics.
Gold medalist Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand (left) and bronze medalist Tess Coady of Australia pose for photographs after the Women’s Slopestyle Final during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, in Beijing, China, Sunday. DAN HIMBRECHTS/AAP
Both Coady and Sadowski-Synnott will compete in Big Air on Monday February 14.
