Napier’s Tim Clayton secures silver at Winter Special Olympics in Italy, just 0.1s from gold

Napier’s Tim Clayton has secured a silver medal in the Alpine skiing advanced slalom at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy, missing out on gold by just 0.1 of a second.

“It’s surreal. I’ve waited 24 years for this. I’m proud of it.”

Clayton, 31, delivered a strong performance finishing the race on Saturday in 34.860 seconds, but was narrowly beaten by Great Britain’s Stefan Nakoneczny, who clocked 34.760.

His medal was part of a successful final day for the New Zealand team, which claimed two golds, one silver, and a bronze.

Clayton, who also came in fourth in the advanced Giant Slalom final, was one of nine Kiwi athletes competing in the largest inclusive winter sports event in the world, featuring over 1500 athletes from 100 countries.

He and his teammates arrived in Italy early to get extra training sessions in before the competition.

“We had two extra days here, so practice has been good, training’s been good,” he said.

Tim Clayton in action on the slopes at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy.

His journey to the Games started when he was 4, and it’s been years in the making, with countless hours of training on the slopes.

Beyond the competition, he says the experience has been about more than just medals.

“You learn a lot about yourself and being independent, but it’s all about friendship as well. I’ve made a lot of friends through this.”

With a silver medal in hand and an experience that makes him “feel on top of the world,” Clayton says this is a result of hard teamwork with coaches and many people who supported him along the way, with two special mentions.

“Mum, Dad, I’m here. Dream come true.”