New Zealand’s Winter Olympics campaign in Italy has started exactly the way you want it to. Calm under pressure, committed on snow, and three from three when it mattered.
All three Kiwi men competing in snowboard Big Air have qualified for the Olympic final at Livigno Snow Park, locking in places inside the top twelve of a stacked thirty rider field. Lyon Farrell, Rocco Jamieson and Dane Menzies will all line up in Sunday morning’s medal showdown.
Farrell led the New Zealand charge, finishing seventh after delivering when the pressure was at its heaviest. As the final rider to drop, he knew exactly what was required. A score of 73.50 would sneak him through. An 81.50 did more than that.
His reaction said everything. First the release of landing clean. Then the disbelief when the score dropped.
Speaking courtside, Farrell summed up the moment without dressing it up. Olympic finalist sounded surreal. The wait, the noise, the knowledge that everyone else had already stamped their number. Then the run. Then the result.
At 27, Farrell is the oldest member of New Zealand’s seventeen strong Winter Olympic team, and that experience showed. His combined score of 170.00 edged him just ahead of Jamieson, who finished eighth on 168.25. Menzies completed the clean sweep, squeezing through in eleventh with 164.00.
At the top of qualification sat Japan’s Hiroto Ogiwara, followed by Italy’s Ian Matteoli and Japan’s Kira Kimura, setting up a final that will demand precision, confidence and nerve.
For New Zealand, it is an ideal launchpad. Three finalists. No one watching from the sidelines. No missed chances.
The momentum does not stop there. The next wave of Kiwi athletes step in across freeski slopestyle, Big Air and alpine racing as the programme ramps up across the coming days. Ruby Star Andrews and Sylvia Trotter are first up, with the men’s freeski slopestyle squad close behind.
This is where Olympic campaigns are built. Early belief, clean execution, and the sense that things are clicking at the right time.
Below is a clean run sheet of New Zealand athletes and events to watch as the Winter Olympics unfold.
New Zealand Olympic snow calendar
All times NZT
Friday February 6
Snowboard Big Air men qualification
Lyon Farrell 7th
Rocco Jamieson 8th
Dane Menzies 11th
All through to final
Saturday February 7
10.30pm
Freeski slopestyle women qualification
Ruby Star Andrews
Sylvia Trotter
Sunday February 8
2.00am
Freeski slopestyle men qualification
Ben Barclay
Luca Harrington
Lucas Ball
7.30am
Snowboard Big Air men final
Lyon Farrell
Rocco Jamieson
Dane Menzies
Monday February 9
7.30am
Snowboard Big Air women qualification
Zoi Sadowski Synnott
Lucia Georgalli
Tuesday February 10
12.30am
Freeski slopestyle women final
Ruby Star Andrews
Sylvia Trotter if qualified
7.30am
Snowboard Big Air women final
Zoi Sadowski Synnott
Lucia Georgalli if qualified
Wednesday February 11
12.30am
Freeski slopestyle men final
Ben Barclay
Luca Harrington
Lucas Ball if qualified
Thursday February 12
7.30am
Snowboard halfpipe men qualification
Cam Melville Ives
11.30pm
Super G slalom women final
Alice Robinson
Saturday February 14
7.30am
Snowboard halfpipe men final
Cam Melville Ives if qualified
Sunday February 15
7.30am
Freeski Big Air women qualification
Ruby Star Andrews
Sylvia Trotter
10.00pm
Giant slalom women run one
Alice Robinson
Monday February 16
1.30am
Giant slalom women run two
Alice Robinson
8.30am
Freeski Big Air men qualification
Ben Barclay
Luca Harrington
10.30pm
Snowboard slopestyle women qualification
Zoi Sadowski Synnott
Lucia Georgalli
Tuesday February 17
3.00am
Snowboard slopestyle men qualification
Lyon Farrell
Rocco Jamieson
Dane Menzies
8.30am
Freeski Big Air women final
Ruby Star Andrews
Sylvia Trotter if qualified
Wednesday February 18
1.00am
Snowboard slopestyle women final
Zoi Sadowski Synnott
Lucia Georgalli
7.30am
Freeski Big Air men final
Ben Barclay
Luca Harrington
Lucas Ball
Thursday February 19
12.30am
Snowboard slopestyle men final
Lyon Farrell
Rocco Jamieson
Dane Menzies if qualified
10.30pm
Freeski halfpipe men qualification
Fin Melville Ives
Ben Harrington
Gustav Legnavsky
Luke Harrold
Friday February 20
7.30am
Freeski halfpipe women qualification
Mischa Thomas
Saturday February 21
7.30am
Freeski halfpipe men final
Fin Melville Ives
Ben Harrington
Gustav Legnavsky
Luke Harrold if qualified
Sunday February 22
5.30am
Freeski halfpipe women final
Mischa Thomas if qualified
