Winter Olympics: NZ medal hopes boosted by IOC move

Jossi Wells. Photo / Supplied

With a stroke of the International Olympic Committee pen, New Zealand's hopes of winning Winter Olympics medals in 2014 received a big boost.

The IOC has included halfpipe skiing on the programme for Sochi, Russia, and is also considering introducing skiing and snowboarding slopestyle.

Those decisions are expected in the next couple of weeks.

Now consider that Jossi Wells was world No 1 freeskier last season and, despite an injury-marred campaign this Northern Hemisphere season, is still ranked No 4 overall.

The 20-year-old, a Halberg Award sportsman finalist this year, is also ranked ninth in slopestyle.

His younger brother Byron is No 13 overall, and No 7 in halfpipe.

Then add in the proficiency of 25-year-old Janina Kuzma at the halfpipe, which is her secondary event. She is world No 3 in Big Mountain competition, where nerveless athletes ski off mountaintops down steeply angled terrain and around rocky outcrops.

It all paints a rosy picture, even if there is plenty of snow to be skied before the Olympics.

"The bottom line is with it being the Olympics we'll get to show the world on a bigger scale what we do," Jossi Wells said yesterday.

"People enjoy watching it and it's another way for a broader audience to get to watch it.

"It should be good for the sport in general - and it's definitely good for me personally."

His brother Byron is nipping at his heels, while the next two Wells boys, Beau-James and Jackson, also have distinctly bright futures.

Kuzma's situation is different.

She is aiming for a strong halfpipe year to assess progress, but is reluctant to put her Big Mountain aspirations on hold. So it's a case of getting the blend right.

"For me with Big Mountain, you're throwing yourself off cliffs and it's about picking your line," she said.

"It's the same in halfpipe.

"Big Mountain is just skiing; halfpipe is skiing and throwing in some tricks."

Her third placing at the Verbier extreme event this month has her aiming for the world No 1 crown, but the Olympic lure is strong.

"It's a great opportunity for all halfpipe skiers in New Zealand.

"We've got Jossi, and there's a really good chance New Zealand could do well and possibly win a gold medal."

The only New Zealander to have won a Winter Olympic medal is Annelise Coberger, and her slalom silver medal at Albertville, France in 1992.

The IOC based its decision on the discipline adding value to the Games, with youth appeal and gender equality key factors.

Former Snow Sports New Zealand boss Ross Palmer will await news on the two slopestyle disciplines with interest.

He was a driver in the push to get them on the Sochi programme, along with the ski halfpipe.

And there is a financial benefit for New Zealand too. Winter sport has been allocated $900,000 in 2011 and 2012, rising to $1.3m in 2011 and $1.5m in 2012 if the halfpipe, slopestyle and snowboard slopestyle are added to the Sochi card.