New Zealander makes Winter Olympic history: ‘What the f***?’

When you win your nation’s first ever Winter Olympic gold medal, you pretty much have free reign to say whatever you want.

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, New Zealand's first ever Winter Olympic gold medallists. Photo Instagram and Getty Images

Moments after making Olympic history with a highly technical run in the women’s slopestyle final, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott reacted in rather more straightforward fashion.

The 20-year-old today became the first New Zealander to win a gold medal at the Winter Games, a momentous achievement that clearly left her lost for words.

Well, just about lost for words – she managed to find three.

“What the f**k”, was the succinct caption on the photo Sadowski-Synnott posted to her Instagram minutes after her dramatic victory, posing with Australian bronze medallist Tess Coady.

That incredulity was more than deserved after Sadowski-Synnott had left her golden run until last, heading into her third and final attempt in the silver-medal position.

A flawless last-gasp run saw the Kiwi record a score of 92.88 to leap ahead of American Julia Marino (87.68) and into top spot, a position that clearly took some time to sink in.

'What the f***?', we may have cut a little bit off at the bottom … Photo: Instagram

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, New Zealand's first ever Winter Olympic gold medallists. Photo: Getty Images

Asked about her prevailing emotion after earning a historic gold, Sadowski-Synnott told Sky: “Honestly, complete disbelief.

“It’s an indescribable feeling, but I just knew I had to put it down and knew I was capable of it. It took everything in me to try to land that last jump.”

Once that jump had been landed – the second of the back-to-back 1080s that Sadowski-Synnott had figured would be required to take out the competition – she was tackled to the snow by an equally jubilant Marino and Coady.

There wasn’t a trace of animosity as the trio of medallists waited for the judges to determine whether Sadowski-Synnott or Marino would take gold, and the Kiwi said the relationship between athletes was one of her favourite things about the sport.

“That was a crazy moment and just shows how special snowboarding is – you cheer more when your friends are doing well than yourself,” she said. “That’s why I love it.”

Her success must also bolster that passion, and winning gold has become a familiar feeling for Sadowski-Synnott since she burst onto the scene by claiming big air bronze at PyeongChang 2018.

Four years of hard work looked like it would pay off in Beijing after she triumphed in the slopestyle at last month’s X Games in Aspen, and her status as a gold-medal contender was confirmed when she topped yesterday’s qualification.

Australia and New Zealand on the podium. Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images

But the performance of her rivals in the final meant Sadowski-Synnott was forced to do it the hard way.

“It’s not over till it’s over,” she said of her thoughts before her final run. “I was super lucky by qualifying in first so that I could drop last.

“Everyone out there today had a chance at medalling and you just had to be completely 100 per cent on it.”

That was the level she reached in the last run and it resulted in both a gold medal and a permanent place in the annals of New Zealand sport.

“It makes me pretty emotional,” Sadowski-Synnott said of her trailblazing achievement. “Im just super proud.”

This story first appeared in the New Zealand Herald and was republished with permission.