Aussie-Born Snowboard Sensation Claims Silver in Olympic Big Air Thriller
A snowboarding star with Australian roots has once again captured the spotlight, this time with a breathtaking performance in the women’s big air final at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. While the coveted gold medal eluded her, the Sydney-born rider Zoi Sadowski-Synnott secured a remarkable silver, showcasing one of the sport’s most demanding tricks in the process.
Sadowski-Synnott, born in Sydney in 2001, spent her formative years in Newport on Sydney’s Northern Beaches until the age of six. Her family then relocated to New Zealand, establishing their home in Wānaka on the South Island. This move marked the beginning of a journey that would see her rise to international snowboarding prominence.
The Olympic big air final saw Sadowski-Synnott navigate a challenging start with a less-than-ideal opening run. However, demonstrating incredible resilience and skill, she bounced back with two exceptional efforts. Her second and third runs earned her scores of 88.75 and 83.50 respectively, culminating in a total score of 172.25. This impressive tally was enough to land her on the podium.
The highlight of her performance, and indeed one of the most talked-about moments of the competition, was her execution of the backside triple cork 1440. This incredibly complex manoeuvre involves four complete 360-degree horizontal rotations, combined with three off-axis “corkscrew” flips. The trick demands immense precision, power, and airtime, and Sadowski-Synnott landed it flawlessly under the intense pressure of the Olympic final.
Commentators were left in awe. Mitch Tomlinson, calling the action for the Nine broadcast, exclaimed, “Are you not entertained?” He went on to laud Sadowski-Synnott, stating, “Zoi under the bright lights showing us why she is one of the most influential snowboarders of our generation.”
Echoing this sentiment was Australian snowboarding legend Torah Bright, who herself claimed gold in the women’s halfpipe at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Speaking on the broadcast, Bright described Sadowski-Synnott’s performance as “just a thing of beauty.”
Adding a poignant touch to her medal-winning achievement, Sadowski-Synnott was later seen with the New Zealand flag draped around her shoulders as members of the travelling Kiwi contingent performed a powerful Haka in her honour. This moment underscored the deep connection she feels to her adopted homeland.
Reflecting on her performance, Sadowski-Synnott admitted to experiencing significant nerves. “Scary tricks and putting them down when it matters is really hard,” she confessed. “I’m grateful I was able to put it down and grateful having my team and family here supporting me. This means so much.”
Sadowski-Synnott’s prowess in executing groundbreaking tricks has been a hallmark of her career. In a historic moment at the X Games in Aspen in January of the previous year, she became the first woman ever to successfully land the backside triple cork 1440. She has consistently pushed the boundaries of women’s snowboarding, landing a string of previously unseen tricks, including the frontside double 1080 and the backside double 1080 performed back-to-back.
With this latest silver medal, Sadowski-Synnott has now amassed an impressive four Olympic medals. This includes her gold medal in the slopestyle at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, a testament to her consistent excellence across different disciplines.
In the Livigno big air final, Sadowski-Synnott shared the podium with Japan’s Kokomo Murase, who clinched the gold medal with a total score of 179. South Korean teenager Seunguen Yu secured the silver medal with a score of 171.
Australia had two representatives in the final: Tess Coady, who finished in seventh place, and Olympic debutant Meila Stalker, who placed tenth. Sadowski-Synnott and Coady have a history of sharing Olympic podiums, having both medalled in the slopestyle at the 2022 Games, where Sadowski-Synnott took gold and Coady claimed bronze.
The slopestyle qualifying at the Milano Cortina Games is scheduled to commence next Monday at 8:30 PM AEDT.
