A summer of incredible sporting drama at the Winter Games

Over the past five weeks we have witnessed some tremendous performances from Olympic and Paralympic athletes that have inspired and captivated the nation.

From the bravery and talent of 16-year-old Nico Porteous and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott to the skill and determination of Corey Peters and Adam Hall taking Gold in the Men’s Slalom Standing, almost exactly eight years after securing gold in Vancouver 2010.

With one gold, four bronze and a strong complement of top ten placings, this has undoubtedly been a remarkable period in New Zealand’s history.

These performances have been underpinned by a highly skilled and dedicated support team from across winter sports that include high performance coaches, performance directors, team managers, support staff along with the New Zealand Olympic Committee and Paralympics NZ who created outstanding games time environments that enabled athletes to perform.

The success of the New Zealand Paralympic and Olympic teams in PyeongChang demonstrates the strength of New Zealand’s wider high performance system. The ability, courage and determination demonstrated by the athletes have made New Zealanders proud and been an inspiration to all.

At High Performance Sport New Zealand, we recognise the fine margins needed for high performance success and work in partnership with national sporting organisation to provide the best package of support to their athletes and coaches across sport science, investment, medicine and innovation.

Our team of front line practitioners support both athletes and coaches, in their preparation to challenge the world’s best in what is an increasingly unpredictable and competitive environment.

As the margins are getting finer, the challenge is getting greater.

With the Commonwealth Games just a fortnight away, we must ensure we can deliver when it matters through a team of hands on experts behind-the-scenes, doing their bit to help the athlete reach their peak.

As the memories of Pyeongchang start to fade we look forward to the next phase of high performance sport in New Zealand.