$500,000 to support Winter Olympian hopefuls

Sport and Recreation Minister Jonathan Coleman has announced $500,000 to enhance Snow Sports New Zealand’s high performance training facilities.

“With the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games just around the corner, it’s important that our athletes have a state-of-the-art facility to give them the best chance of selection and medal success,” says Dr Coleman.

The $500,000 from Sport New Zealand will go towards the facilities at Cardrona Alpine Resort in Wanaka for snowboarding and skiing.

“This new facility is the benchmark for world-class year-round training for these sports,” says Dr Coleman.

“It combines the latest new dry-slope technology with both a Progression Landing Bag and an Acrobag – these customised airbags significantly reduce injury risk by providing a softer, low-friction surface.

“Having this facility in New Zealand will also mean our athletes can spend more time training at home rather than being based overseas.

“The Government’s investment is the latest in a significant funding program to enhance the daily training environment of New Zealand’s elite athletes.

“Over the last seven years around $35 million has been invested into a range of facilities including the Avantidrome in Cambridge; the Rowing High Performance Centre at Lake Karapiro; the National Training Centre (including the aquatic centre) at the AUT Millennium Institute in Auckland; and satellite centres in Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch.

“These facilities not only support our athletes, but also host a range of national and international events that provide a boost to the local economy.”