Porteous calls time on Olympic career
Wānaka's defending Olympic champion Nico Porteous is stepping back from Olympic competition and will no longer compete in freeski halfpipe.
The 23-year-old is New Zealand's most successful male snow sports athlete and leaves the sport as one of the most decorated halfpipe athletes in history.
'I've loved representing New Zealand. Wearing the fern and competing for my country has been the most incredible experience and I'm so proud of what I've achieved,' Porteous said.
'This wasn't an easy decision to make but I'm excited to do something new and I feel like the time is right for me to look for a new challenge and new opportunities.'
Despite stepping away from halfpipe competition, Porteous is not retiring from skiing. He plans to maintain his level of skiing and remain active in the sport through filming, product development, and other competitive events.
'I still love skiing and I want to keep skiing to the best of my abilities and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the sport.
'Ultimately, I'm ready for something new. What that looks like I'm not exactly sure but over the past few seasons I've enjoyed filming and producing videos, as well as working on gear and product design.
'There are also other events, like Natural Selection Ski, that I'm keen to explore. I'm open to new opportunities and excited to see what the next chapter looks like.'
Porteous made history for New Zealand in 2022, landing a right and left double corked 1620 combination to win Olympic gold in the halfpipe at the Beijing Winter Games.
Four years earlier, he stomped a stunning run to win bronze as a 16-year-old at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.
His career highlights also include two X-Games gold medals, a World Championship title, and five World Cup medals. Porteous is widely credited with helping to drive the progression and creativity of freeski halfpipe and inspire a new generation of Kiwi snow sports athletes.
'What I've achieved wouldn't have been possible without an amazing team of people behind me.
'First of all, I'd like to thank my family for all their support. Mum and Dad have made this dream come true, and getting to ski alongside my brother Miguel has been such a cool experience.
'My sponsors have been a huge part of my journey, and I'm so grateful for their support. Snow Sports New Zealand and High Performance Sport NZ have also played such an important role and the results I've had wouldn't have happened without their help.'
Porteous says he wishes the Snow Sports NZ team well and will be cheering them on in Milan.
'It's super inspiring to see this new batch of athletes coming through. The future of the sport is looking really bright in New Zealand and I can't wait to see them in action in Milano Cortina.'
Snow Sports New Zealand CEO Nic Cavanagh congratulated Porteous on his career and acknowledged his significant contribution to his sport both in New Zealand and internationally.
- APL
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