Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
MNZM
Sadowski-Synnott in 2022
Personal information
Birth nameZoi Katherine Sadowski-Synnott
NationalityNew Zealand
Born (2001-03-06) 6 March 2001
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight57 kg (126 lb)
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportSnowboarding
Event(s)Slopestyle
Big air
Medal record
Women's snowboarding
Representing  New Zealand
Winter Olympics
Gold medal – first place2022 BeijingSlopestyle
Silver medal – second place2022 BeijingBig air
Bronze medal – third place2018 PyeongchangBig air
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2019 UtahSlopestyle
Gold medal – first place2021 AspenSlopestyle
Silver medal – second place2017 Sierra NevadaSlopestyle
Silver medal – second place2021 AspenBig air
Silver medal – second place2023 BakurianiSlopestyle
Winter X Games
Gold medal – first place2019 AspenSlopestyle
Gold medal – first place2020 HafjellSlopestyle
Gold medal – first place2022 AspenSlopestyle
Gold medal – first place2022 AspenBig Air
Gold medal – first place2023 AspenSlopestyle
Silver medal – second place2019 AspenBig Air
Silver medal – second place2021 AspenSlopestyle
Silver medal – second place2023 AspenBig Air
Bronze medal – third place2021 AspenBig Air

Zoi Katherine Sadowski-Synnott MNZM (/ˈzoʊ.i/, born 6 March 2001) is a New Zealand snowboarder, specialising in slopestyle and big air competitions. She won the gold medal in the women's slopestyle and silver in the big air at the 2022 Winter Olympics, becoming New Zealand's first gold medallist and first to win multiple medals at the Winter Olympics.[1] She also won the bronze medal in the women's big air at the 2018 Winter Olympics, and won the women's slopestyle title at the 2019 World Championships.[2]

Early life and family

Sadowski-Synnott was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia,[3] to a New Zealand father, Sean Synnott, and an American mother, Robin Sadowski. She has four siblings.[4][5][6] She initially grew up in the Sydney suburb of Newport before moving with her family to Wānaka, New Zealand, when she was six years old.[6][3][4] She was educated at Mount Aspiring College.[7]

Career

Sadowski-Synnott won the silver medal in the slopestyle at the 2017 FIS Snowboard World Championships.[8]

She competed for New Zealand at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.[9] She won the bronze medal in the women's big air, becoming only the second New Zealander to win a Winter Olympic medal, after Annelise Coberger who won silver in the women's slalom at the 1992 Winter Olympics.[10] Her big air qualifying saw her become the first woman to successfully land a switch backside 900 (i.e. riding in unnatural stance and performing 2.5 rotations in the backside direction) in competition.[11][12] She also competed in the women's slopestyle, finishing in 13th place.[13]

At age 16 years 353 days, Sadowski-Synnott briefly became New Zealand's youngest ever Olympic medallist, breaking the previous record of 17 years 100 days set by Danyon Loader at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The record was broken later the same day by Nico Porteous at age 16 years 91 days.[14] She was subsequently selected as New Zealand's flag bearer for the 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony, becoming the nation's youngest-ever flag bearer.[15]

In January 2019, Sadowski-Synnott claimed the gold medal in the slopestyle event, and the silver in the big air, at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado.[16] A month later, she won the gold medal in the slopestyle at the 2019 FIS Snowboard World Championships.[2]

In March 2019, she won the slopestyle event at the US Open in Vail, Colorado, completing the triple crown of the Open title, the X Games gold, and the World Championship title.[17]

In March 2020, she claimed the gold medal in the slopestyle event at the Winter X Games in Hafjell.[18]

In January 2021, she claimed the silver medal in the slopestyle event, and the bronze in the big air, at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado.[19] Two months later, she won the gold medal in the slopestyle event at the 2021 FIS Snowboard World Championships.[20]

In December 2021, Sadowski-Synnott claimed victory in the women’s snowboard slopestyle event at the invite-only Winter Dew Tour in Copper Mountain, Colorado.[21] In January 2022, she finished second in the slopestyle event at the U.S. Grand Prix World Cup event in California, USA.[22]

In January 2022, Sadowski-Synnott claimed the gold medal in both the slopestyle event and the big air event at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado.[23]

On 6 February 2022, Sadowski-Synnott won the gold medal in the slopestyle event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. This was New Zealand's first gold medal at the Winter Olympics.[24] Sadowski-Synnott followed up her gold with a silver in the Big air, becoming the first New Zealander to win multiple medals at a Winter Olympics.[25] She was subsequently awarded the Lonsdale Cup for 2022 by the New Zealand Olympic Committee.[26]

In the 2023 New Year Honours, Sadowski-Synnott was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to snow sports.[27] In January 2023, she successfully defended her gold medal in the slopestyle event at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado.[28] In February 2023, she claimed the silver medal in the slopestyle event at the 2023 FIS Snowboard World Championships.[29]

International competitions

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2017 FIS Snowboard World Championships Sierra Nevada, Spain 2nd Slopestyle
2017 FIS Snowboard World Championships Sierra Nevada, Spain 4th Big air
2018 Winter Olympics Pyeongchang, South Korea 13th Slopestyle
2018 Winter Olympics Pyeongchang, South Korea 3rd Big air
2019 Winter X Games Aspen, Colorado 1st Slopestyle
2019 Winter X Games Aspen, Colorado 2nd Big air
2019 FIS Snowboard World Championships Park City, Utah 1st Slopestyle
2019 US Open Vail, Colorado 1st Slopestyle
2020 Winter X Games Hafjell, Norway 1st Slopestyle
2021 Winter X Games Aspen, Colorado 2nd Slopestyle
2021 Winter X Games Aspen, Colorado 3rd Big air
2021 FIS Snowboard World Championships Aspen, Colorado 1st Slopestyle
2021 FIS Snowboard World Championships Aspen, Colorado 2nd Big air
2021 Winter Dew Tour Copper Mountain, Colorado 1st Slopestyle
2022 Winter X Games Aspen, Colorado 1st Slopestyle
2022 Winter X Games Aspen, Colorado 1st Big air
2022 Winter Olympics Beijing, China 1st Slopestyle
2022 Winter Olympics Beijing, China 2nd Big air
2023 Winter X Games Aspen, Colorado 1st Slopestyle
2023 Winter X Games Aspen, Colorado 2nd Big air
2023 FIS Snowboard World Championships Bakuriani, Georgia 2nd Slopestyle

References

  1. ↑ Pearson, Joseph (6 February 2022). "Winter Olympics: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott wins historic gold for New Zealand in slopestyle". Stuff. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Kiwi snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott wins world slopestyle title". Stuff. 11 February 2019.
  3. 1 2 Caldwell, Olivia (22 February 2018). "Zoi Sadowski-Synnott's double wildcat catapults her into NZ Olympic folklore". Stuff.
  4. 1 2 Rattue, Chris (1 April 2017). "Snowboarding: Olympic star could be rising from snowhere". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  5. ↑ "Sadowski-Synnott family celebrate 'absolutely incredible' win". 1 News. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  6. 1 2 Cully, Paul (6 February 2022). "'She's amazing': Zoi Sadowski-Synnott stunned family even as a six-year-old, says her dad". Stuff. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  7. ↑ du Plessis-Allan, Heather (22 February 2018). "Olympic medal a win for Mt Aspiring College". Newstalk ZB. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  8. ↑ "FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2017 Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Final Results" (PDF). Medias4.fis-ski.com. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "Nico Porteous joins brother in team for Winter Olympics, history beckon". Stuff (company). 24 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  10. ↑ "Bronze medal! Zoi Sadowski-Synnott wins New Zealand's first Winter Olympics medal since 1992 in Big Air final". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  11. ↑ "Women's big air contest means even bigger tricks as sport's progression continues". USA Today.
  12. ↑ "Anna Gasser first ever Olympic big air champion - FIS-SKI". Archived from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  13. ↑ "2018 Winter Olympics: It all goes awry for Kiwi snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott". Stuff. 12 February 2018.
  14. ↑ Norquay, Kevin (22 February 2018). "2018 Winter Olympics: Meet the high-flying 16-year-olds who made New Zealand proud". Stuff. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  15. ↑ "Zoi Sadowski-Synnott to carry New Zealand flag at closing ceremony". Stuff. 25 February 2018.
  16. ↑ "Gold for Kiwi Zoi Sadowski Synnott after late call up to elite US event". Stuff. 27 January 2019.
  17. ↑ "Zoi Sadowski-Synnott claims snowboarding triple crown with US Open win". Stuff. 2 March 2019.
  18. ↑ "Snowboarding: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott wins X Games slopestyle gold in Norway". Newshub. 9 March 2020.
  19. ↑ "X Games: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott wins second medal in Aspen, claims bronze in Big Air". Stuff. 1 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Nico Porteous create history at World Championships". Stuff. 13 March 2021.
  21. ↑ "Kiwi snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott wins prestigious Dew Tour title". Stuff. 19 December 2021.
  22. ↑ "Winter Olympics: Kiwi snowboarders Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, Tiarn Collins complete ideal build-up with World Cup podiums". Newshub. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  23. ↑ "Sadowski-Synnott wins again". Radio New Zealand. 23 January 2022.
  24. ↑ "Sadowski-Synnott wins slopestyle gold". Bbc.co.uk.
  25. ↑ Wilson, Sam (15 February 2022). "Live Winter Olympics: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott goes for gold again". Stuff.
  26. ↑ Caldwell, Olivia (21 December 2022). "Kiwi snowboarding sensation Zoi Sadowski-Synnott wins Lonsdale Cup". Stuff. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  27. ↑ "New Year honours list 2023". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  28. ↑ "Sadowski-Synnott stoked after another X Games gold". Radio New Zealand. 28 January 2023.
  29. ↑ "Zoi Sadowski-Synnott beaten by 16-year sensation at Snowboard World Championships". Stuff. 28 February 2023.
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