Freeski athlete Luca Harrington was named New Zealand Team flag bearer, Pou Hāpai Tāne, for the Closing Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, capping a strong campaign for the entire NZ Team.
Harrington, who secured a bronze medal in Freeski Slopestyle, said the honour was a special way to close out his first Olympic Games.
“To be asked to carry the flag at the Closing Ceremony is a huge honour,” said Harrington. “This has been an incredible experience and I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved as a team.”
NZ Team Chef de Mission, Marty Toomey, said the Milano Cortina campaign reflected an upward trajectory in results since Beijing 2022.
“Milano Cortina has been a strong Games for us, both in terms of performances and setting a clear path for our snow sports athletes to follow for the next four years,” said Toomey.
Toomey said New Zealand’s athletes consistently delivered at these Games and he’s proud of the entire team.
“We had ten athletes progress through to finals, with a total of 14 finals appearances across the Games which is a superb effort.”
“For our team to earn 11 Olympic Diplomas, awarded for a top eight finish in a final, compared to three in Beijing, shows real growth across the team,” Toomey said.
The New Zealand Team secured three medals at Milano Cortina 2026, equalling Beijing 2022’s medal tally and therefore equalling the team’s most successful Games.
Snow Sports NZ Chief Executive Nik Cavanagh said: “It goes without saying that Snow Sports NZ is incredibly proud of all 17 athletes of the NZ Team and grateful to the coaches, performance specialists, parents and fans who travelled to support them. The youngest of our athletes is 16 and the composure and confidence these young people brought to their performances was a credit to our country.
“There has also been a universal sense of encouragement and camaraderie which has been a hallmark of these Games. I believe this is what makes New Zealand’s participation in international sport so special and unique - we are proud of our athletes both when they win medals and when they give their all.”
Cavanagh said the 17 athletes selected represented a range of skills and experience. “From Zoi, who is now the most decorated snowboarder in Olympic history, to our debutantes, some of whom made finals in their first games. Many of our athletes are on the very beginning of their journey and now have Olympics experience under their belt.”
Emotions ran high during the last few days of the Milano Cortina 2026 Games and fans held their breath as our Freeski Halfpipe athletes took their shot at Olympic success.
It was Fin Melville Ives to whom hearts went out in qualifying, Fin went huge on a trick boosting high above the lip of the pipe then crashing hard on the landing. The medal contender and 2025 World Champion was stretchered from the snow. Following medical checks and scans, it was confirmed Fin had a broken collarbone. Disappointed but philosophical, he thanked his medical team and coach Murray Buchan, joking the injury was ‘nothing but a scratch’.
Team head coach Tom Willmott commented, “Fin came in as world champion, ranked number one. He was using qualies as a warm up to the main event and he was all-in going real big. Fine margins and he was pushing the limits. He’ll be gutted but he will pick himself up, he’ll come back from this. He’s a bit of a warrior.”
Women’s Freeski Halfpipe – qualifying and finals
Mischa Thomas qualified for the women’s Freeski Halfpipe final, putting down two clean runs to secure her spot. The judges rewarded her with a score of 77 placing her eighth at the end of run one. She then put down a clean, composed second run, tidying up the execution to lift her overall score to 77.50 - booking a ticket to finals.
Once again in finals, she held her composure. Mischa got off to a great start, getting her first run down clean for a score of 77.75. She didn't improve her score on run two and slid out in her third run to maintain an amazing 8th position.
“Zoi and everyone who has competed this week has been such an inspiration to me, just how they carry New Zealand on their chest. It’s such a proud feeling as a friend and teammate. They’re amazing,” she said.
Men’s Freeski Halfpipe – qualifying and finals
After cheering from the sidelines as his younger brother Luca qualified for two Olympic finals and claimed a bronze medal, it was Ben Harrington’s turn to step into the spotlight in men’s Freeski Halfpipe.
In qualifying, Harrington nailed his second run to score a 75.25 and a place in the finals. He then managed to move three places up the ladder against the best halfpipe skiers in the world. With three runs to earn his best score in the finals, he saved the best for last, earning a 73.75 to finish the day in ninth place.
“I was just happy to be here, honestly. I was stoked to make finals at the Olympics. That’s been a dream of mine for a long time. I always just want to come in and land a run, that’s all I can really ask for, and I did that in finals, and I did that in qualifiers. The experience was awesome, I had my friends and family here. It was so much fun.”
Earlier that day in qualifying, Luke Harrold got off to a great start, showcasing a good variety of tricks and grabs. In his first run he landed back-to-back 900s into a switch left 720, setting up for back-to-back 1620s, but landed in the back seat losing key execution points. His score of 65.50 left him with work to do. Losing a ski in his second run, he slipped out of the qualification spots.
“It was a tough day out there,” said Harrold. “Training went well but unfortunately, I couldn’t put down the run I wanted to. I just want to say thanks to everyone who supported me through my whole journey, it’s been pretty incredible. I couldn’t put it down today for you guys but I know I will eventually.”
Gustav Legnavsky was unable to complete his first run cleanly, landing low on his fourth trick and losing a ski as it popped out of the binding; another Kiwi looking to reset and deliver on his second attempt. Legnavsky then landed a clean second run but his score of 71 wouldn’t be enough to lift him into the top 12.
“I’m pretty bummed,” said Legnavsky. "I have more; I know I have more.”
Mens Snowboard Slopestyle - finals
Dane Menzies finished seventh in the men’s Snowboard Slopestyle final, competing in a stacked 12-man field that included past Olympic medallists and seasoned contenders.
Menzies opened strongly in run one showcasing technical difficulty on the rail section and linkingtogether a strong jump line to score 76.10. This would see him sitting fifth after the first round. On run two, Menzies slipped off the rail section resulting in a throwaway attempt. Despite the misstep, he remained fifth on 76.10,with the podium tantalisingly close and just 0.85 points separating him from the bronze medal position.
Heading into the final round, everything was still to play for. Last to drop on the final run, Menzies needed just over three points to shake up the podium. Knowing he had some of the strongest rail tricks in the field, he dropped in with intent, but an early slip would bring his medal charge to an abrupt end. He would finish seventh.
“I’m super-bummed,” admitted Menzies straight after the competition. “The first run was pretty good, but a few things didn’t go right. I was kind of stoked, but fifth place isn’t really where you want to be. I had the best rail line, but it just wasn’t clean enough. It hurts for sure.
“I’m definitely looking forward to the next one (Olympics) already. I’m super happy to represent New Zealand as well, and my family, it makes me proud.”
PC- thenzteam
19 hours ago
Olympics