When Zoi Sadowski-Synnott made her Olympic debut in Pyeongchang 2018, New Zealand’s all-time Winter Olympic medal count was one.
Annelise Coberger’s silver in Albertville 1992 stood alone for 26 years until, at 16, Sadowski-Synnott produced a score of 92.00 in the snowboard big air final, which was enough to securebronze.
One Olympic medal was rare enough for a New Zealander but Sadowski-Synnott may have reached “never-to-happen-again” status with a fifth medal this morning – a silver in the slopestyle final.
New Zealand’s all-time Winter Olympics medal count now sits at nine, and while Coberger could claim to have at one stage 100% of the nation’s medals – it’s remarkable that Sadowski-Synnott is now responsible for more than half.
Sadowski-Synnott moved to a share of second all-time on the New Zealand medal list – tied with kayak sprinters Ian Ferguson (four gold, one silver) and Paul MacDonald (three gold, one silver, one bronze), along with equestrian rider Sir Mark Todd (two gold, three bronze).
Still only 24 years old, she’s the youngest New Zealander to reach five Olympic medals. MacDonald was 28 when he claimed number five, while Dame Lisa Carrington, who leads the way with nine total medals, was 31 when she won her fifth in Tokyo 2020.
She now also has the most silver medals for a New Zealander, at three. Sadowski-Synnott has entered six events at the Olympics and has walked away with a medal in all but one of them, finishing 13th in her maiden competition in the slopestyle in 2018.
She is also the first athlete, male or female for any country, to win a quintet of Olympic medals in snowboard.
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott with her family after winning silver medal at the final of the women's Snowboard Slopestyle at Livigno Snow Park. Photo / Photosport
There could be more to come for Sadowski-Synnott, with the next Olympics held in the French Alps.
She was New Zealand’s youngest medallist, only to be topped by fellow teen Nico Porteous the same day, and is our youngest female Winter gold medallist. There’s also three world championships titles and seven X Games gold medals to add to the resume.
“What a special athlete and person. Zoi’s just amazing, and she does it time and time again,” coach Tom Willmott told Sky Sportafter today’s slopestyle final.
“So much pressure, coming from behind, a few issues there in the first couple of runs. I’m just stoked. So proud of her and all of the team.
“She had it in her, for sure. She had a winning run capability in her. You’d have seen just a little error on the third rail in section two, just came off a little bit early and that was the difference between silver and gold.
“But how epic to just put that down under pressure and come through. I’m super stoked.”
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott.
New Zealand’s all-time Olympic medallists
9 - Dame Lisa Carrington (eight gold, one bronze)
5 - Ian Ferguson (four gold, one silver)
5 - Paul MacDonald (three gold, one silver, one bronze)
