Nico Porteous

Nico Porteous MNZM (born 23 November 2001) is a New Zealand freestyle skier and an Olympic champion.[1][2] He is New Zealand's youngest Olympic Games medallist, having won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics at the age of 16.[3] He became New Zealand's second Winter Olympic gold medallist, and first male, with his win in men's halfpipe at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Nico Porteous
MNZM
Porteous on the set of What Now in Rolleston, 2019
Personal information
Born (2001-11-23) 23 November 2001
Hamilton, New Zealand
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight63 kg (139 lb)
RelativesMiguel Porteous (brother)
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportFreestyle skiing
Event(s)Halfpipe
Medal record
Men's freestyle skiing
Representing  New Zealand
Winter Olympics
Gold medal – first place2022 BeijingHalfpipe
Bronze medal – third place2018 PyeongchangHalfpipe
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2021 AspenHalfpipe
Winter X Games
Gold medal – first place2021 AspenSuperpipe
Gold medal – first place2022 AspenSuperpipe
Bronze medal – third place2019 AspenSuperpipe
Winter Dew Tour
Bronze medal – third placeCopper 2020Modified superpipe

Early life and family

Porteous was introduced to skiing by his parents and learned to ski in France when he was three years old.[4] He has had a professional coach since he was six years old.[4] Porteous has been home-schooled through Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu, as well as studying at Christ Church Grammar School in Perth, Western Australia.[4] His older brother Miguel Porteous is also a freeskier and Olympian, having competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics.[4]

Career

When Porteous was 14, he became the youngest person in the world to land the triple cork 1440 (upside down three times, and four full spins). This has since been beaten by another skier.[4]

Porteous was selected to compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics, making him the second-youngest Winter Olympian in the nation's history (behind Alice Robinson).[5][6] In the men's halfpipe he won the bronze medal, becoming only the third New Zealander (and first male New Zealander) to win a medal at a Winter Olympics. At age 16 years 91 days, Porteous became New Zealand's youngest Olympic Games medallist, breaking the previous record of 16 years and 353 days set by Zoi Sadowski-Synnott earlier the same day, who had in turn broken the record of 17 years 100 days set by Danyon Loader at the 1992 Summer Olympics.[3]

His best 2017–18 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup finish is 6th at Cardrona Alpine Resort.[7]

In 2019, Porteous claimed the bronze medal in the superpipe event at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado.[8]

At the 2019 Audi Nines Porteous performed a Switch Alley Oop Double Misty 1080.[9]

In 2021, Porteous claimed his first X Games gold medal in the Superpipe event.[10] In January 2022, Porteous won a gold medal in the freeski halfpipe event at the U.S. Grand Prix World Cup event in California, USA.[11] During the 2022 X Games in Aspen, USA, Porteous defended his title by winning gold in superpipe on the final run of the competition.

On 19 February 2022, Porteous won the gold medal in the men's halfpipe event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. In the 2023 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to snow sports.[12]

References
  1. "Kiwi freeskier Nico Porteous bowled over as he joins Red Bull at age 14". Stuff.
  2. "Rising Kiwi skier Nico Porteous gets Red Bull backing". 9 June 2016 – via newshub.co.nz.
  3. "Meet the high-flying 16-year-olds who made New Zealand proud on the snow".
  4. McFadden, Suzanne (26 February 2018). "It's a big year for… Nico Porteous". Newsroom. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  5. "Nico Porteous joins brother in team for Winter Olympics, history beckons". Stuff.
  6. "'I'm really, really lucky to be here' – teen star Nico Porteous still buzzing about competing at Winter Games". TVNZ.
  7. "Wanaka brothers impress at Games". 2 September 2017.
  8. "New Zealand's Nico Porteous wins free-ski superpipe bronze medal at X Games". Newshub. 25 January 2019.
  9. Seconi, Adrian (9 May 2020). "Bronze 'curse' no barrier to award". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  10. "'Out of this world': Nico Porteous makes history on way to first X Games gold medal". Stuff. 30 January 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  11. "Nico Porteous claims Freeski Halfpipe World Cup victory at Mammoth Mountain". Stuff. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  12. "New Year honours list 2023". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
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