Winter Olympics 2026: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott faces wait as slopestyle final postponed

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott will have to wait before getting the opportunity to try and defend her Olympic slopestyle title.

The 24-year-old Kiwi snowboarder was the top qualifier for the final, which was scheduled to get underway around 1am NZT on Wednesday morning.

However, due to poor weather conditions, the final was postponed, with a new day and time yet to be confirmed.

“Despite all efforts and a window of hope, unfortunately the persistent weather conditions and this last inpulse is not allowing [us] to prepare and run a completion. Women’s snowboard slopestyle finals are postponed,” a statement from the organising committee said.

The call comes due to persistent snowfall, making conditions unfit for the competition. It’s understood that snowfall earlier in the day in Italy meant there was not enough speed in the course for the athletes to safely clear the jumps and it could not be cleared before the competition was due to start.

More information is expected to be available about a way forward for the competition on Wednesday morning after a meeting with officials.

When the final is eventually run, Sadowski-Synnott will go in looking to secure her fifth Olympic medal.

In 2018, at just 16, she became just the second Kiwi - and first since 1992 - to stand on an Olympic podium with bronze in the big air.

She bettered that four years later with silver in the big air, and claimed her first Olympic gold in the slopestyle that year.

This year, Sadowski-Synnott again claimed silver in the big air, shrugging off the pressure that came with falling on the first of her three attempts.

A medal in the slopestyle final would see her become the second-most decorated New Zealand Olympian, alongside equestrian Mark Todd and kayakers Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald.

Dame Lisa Carrington is New Zealand’s most successful Olympian with nine medals.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.