Winter Olympics 2026: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott wins silver in a close Big Air final

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has won NZ's first medal at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

The Kiwi has snagged a silver medal in the women’s Big Air at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics - and she had us on the edge of our seats after looking a shoe in for that gold title.

The NZ snowboard legend qualified first for the final, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

Her opening jump was a nail biter, missing the landing on a switch backside 1440.

Zoi nailed a huge backside triple cork 1440 on her second jump, scoring a whopping 88.75 and earning herself a good shot at the gold.

Her third jump was another solid run, scoring 83.50 and briefly putting her in the gold medal spot, before a nervous wait as the rest of her competitors took their final jumps.

She held on right up until Japan’s Kokomo Murase scored ahead in her second-to-last run. When South Korea’s Seungeun Yu couldn’t land her final jump, Zoi’s silver medal was secured.

Zoi has previously claimed Silver (2022) and Bronze (2018) at previous games in the same event, making her "the first to claim 3 medals in the Women’s Big Air", according to Sky Sport.

Big air, for those who don't know, is exactly what it sounds like - one massive jump off a huge ramp, with riders pulling off their best tricks and spins mid-air. The Milano Cortina Games' Livigno ramp stood over 40 metres high.

At just 24 years old, Zoi continues to solidify her place as one of New Zealand’s greatest winter athletes.