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Nico Porteous: 'I'm surprised I didn't pass out'

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Fri, 23 Feb 2018, 5:35AM
(Photo \ Getty Images)
(Photo \ Getty Images)

Nico Porteous: 'I'm surprised I didn't pass out'

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Fri, 23 Feb 2018, 5:35AM

New Zealand's newest and youngest Olympic medallists are still buzzing, describing the experience as "insane" and "crazy".

"I am absolutely over the moon – so proud to be a New Zealander right now, super happy with how I skied today," Kiwi skier Nico Porteous said.

The 16-year-old, who admitted he was so nervous he vomited multiple times before starting his run, could hardly believe it when he scored 94.8 on his second attempt in the men's halfpipe freeski. The score was good enough for him to claim bronze at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics yesterday.

With mouth agape and hands on head in shock, Porteous was clearly stunned - and overjoyed - at his performance.

"I'm actually quite surprised I didn't pass out," Porteous laughed.

"That was insane to see that score come up on the board, I couldn't take that smile off my face the whole way up the chairlift."

It was a sentiment echoed by Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, 16, who described the moment she claimed bronze with her 92 point score in the snowboarding Big Air competition as "crazy".

"It hasn't really hit yet, it's all pretty surreal. I was just really happy to be snowboarding and to put down those first two jumps and get rewarded for it and do something that I'm stoked on."

Her coach, Mitch Brown, called it "an exceptional day for New Zealand".

"I'm absolutely rapt with how everything's gone. Two bronze medals for the country of New Zealand, hell yeah!"

Sadowski-Synnott's father Sean Synnott said it was amazing she was on the podium with two women who had been world champions year after year.

"We are incredibly proud of the result and it is the start of her career for her. The other girls are in their mid to late 20s and Zoi is 16 and up there with the best in the world. We knew she was good but we didn't know she was this good."

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