Almost four years to the day since he burst on the scene with bronze, the golden future that Nico Porteous promised has come to fruition.
Porteous today became New Zealand's youngest individual Olympic champion by winning the freeski halfpipe in the same uncomplicated and ascendant manner with which he competes.
It took only one exemplary run for the 20-year-old to add gold to the bronze he stunned this country to claim in the same event in 2018, moving up a couple of steps on the podium with an effortless ease that belies his technical excellence.
After keeping it hidden in his bag of tricks while qualifying in second place on Thursday, Porteous immediately put down his trademark back-to-back double cork 1620s to record an opening score of 93.00.
Through three rounds, none of the other 11 riders could surpass what Porteous had displayed using an unmatched mix of agility, strength and style.
It was a spectacular combination that saw him soar to top spot and that's where he would remain, ahead of David Wise (90.75) in second, with older brother Miguel finishing 11th (63.50).
From left, silver medallist David Wise, gold medallist Nico Porteous and bronze medallist Alex Ferreira. Photo / AP
Porteous, the world and X Games champion, added the Olympic title in windy conditions that vexed many in a field featuring the world's top 10 halfpipe skiers, making yet more Kiwi sporting history.
Only 17-year-old Simon Dickie, the cox of the men's four who won gold at the 1968 Olympics, has claimed Olympic gold at a younger age.
Like in PyeongChang, when he eclipsed Zoi Sadowski-Synnott as New Zealand's youngest medallist, Porteous again replicated the efforts of this country's other Winter Olympic star, who won slopestyle gold a fortnight ago.
Unlike Sadowski-Synnott, however, who triumphed with a pressure-filled final run at the same Genting Snow Park complex, Porteous earned New Zealand's third medal at the Beijing Games in straightforward fashion.
The Wānaka resident, who had admitted to some "Olympics jitters" during qualifying, might have experienced a couple of nervy moments while waiting to see whether his score would be beaten.
Wise, the two-time defending champion, was certainly capable, having set the bar in the final with a first-run score of 90.75.
It was a bar Porteous soon cleared with the same sequence of tricks that produced X Games gold last month, the first time the Kiwi had put down that particular run.
The highlight, as in Aspen, were the twin 1620s, ambitious and intricate manoeuvres that each require four-and-a-half full rotations, taken to another level by spinning in one direction on the first and the opposite on the next.
Nico Porteous. Photo / Getty
But Porteous was unable to raise that marker on an abandoned second run, blaming the wind for being unable to attain the amplitude needed to execute his highly technical tricks.
That meant there remained the possibility one of the strong North Americans riders that filled the top of the leaderboard could sneak ahead.
But an awkward landing from Wise on his last run kept him in second and, once Porteous suffered a nasty crash early in his third run, only top qualifier Aaron Blunck stood between the Kiwi and gold.
Another crash soon confirmed the result, and although celebrations were muted while the American received medical attention, Porteous at least enjoyed the moment with his big brother.
