Source: Radio New Zealand
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott with her family after winning silver medal at the final of the Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle, Winter Olympics, 2026. www.photosport.nz
Wānaka snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott is yet to decide how she’ll celebrate becoming the sport’s most decorated Olympian.
The 24 year old picked up the silver medal in the Slopestyle final at the Winter Olympics in Italy overnight following up her silver medal performance in the Big Air earlier in the programme.
She now has five Olympic medals following her bronze in the Big Air in 2018 and gold in the Slopestyle and silver in the Big Air from 2022.
“I’m so happy that it’s over,” Sadowski-Synnott told RNZ.
“It has been such a big build-up and so much work has gone into this.”
Her immediate plan now is to watch the remaining New Zealanders compete at the Games.
“I’m just really stoked and proud to support the rest of the New Zealand team.
“After that I don’t know what comes, but I’m pretty keen to ride some powder or go to the beach and go surfing, I don’t know.”
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand reacts as she awaits her score in the Slopestyle final at the Winter Olympics, 2026. www.photosport.nz
After topping the qualifying round, Sadowski-Synnott headed into the third and final run of the Slopestyle final in fourth place, but turned in a flawless display to finish just 0.35 points behind Japan’s Mari Fukada, who took home gold.
“I was definitely feeling a lot of pressure. I took my time at the top though and just took it all in and felt really grateful that I had the opportunity to be here and represent my country no matter the result and so I just tried to do what I do best.
“I was proud of the run that I put together.”
She said it was an incredible feeling to reach the podium again.
“I can’t believe that I have another Winter Olympic medal, I’m just really grateful I was able to put it down when it mattered. I could really feel the support of New Zealand.”
She told Reuters she had “definitely not” imagined such success when she took up snowboarding at age eight. She said there were “zero expectations” for someone from New Zealand, a country not known for winter sports prowess.
“Just being a Kiwi, we’re always a bit of the underdog,” she said. “Any chance we get to show who we are on the world stage, we’ll try and do our best.”
Her drive began simply with “that feeling of slowly getting better and learning new tricks,” she said. “I just love the feeling because it makes me feel alive.”
Meanwhile, Dane Menzies finished seventh in the men’s Slopestyle final.
-RNZ with Reuters
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
