New Zealand snowboard star Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has added another big title to her resume.
Zoi Sadowski Synnott Photo: Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
The 2018 Winter Olympics bronze medallist has claimed the slopestyle title at the latest event for the invite-only Dew Tour in Colorado.
“I am pretty stoked. Dew Tour was the first invite only competition that I ever got invited to so to come back and do well, I am super stoked.”
Sitting comfortably in the top spot going into her third and final run, commentators wondered if Sadowski-Synnott would take it easy.
But she saved her best for last, nailing an impressive switch back 900 to score 97.75 and finish seven points clear of second-placed Enni Rukajarvi of Finland. Japan’s Kokomo Murase rounded out the podium.
Fellow New Zealander and 2018 Winter Olympics bronze medallist Nico Porteous had qualified third for the men’s superpipe final.
Another EPL match hit by Covid
Aston Villa’s match against Burnley has been postponed – making it the sixth English Premier League fixture to be called off this weekend because of Covid-19.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Villa said they received an “increased amount” of positive test results on Saturday, with the postponement announced just over two hours before the scheduled kick-off at Villa Park.
It meant Leeds vs Arsenal was the only remaining Premier League game taking place on Sunday (NZ time) of the six matches that were originally scheduled.
Villa-Burnley is the 10th Premier League match to be postponed over the past week because of Covid-19 cases within clubs.
Monday’s matches between Newcastle v Manchester City, Wolves v Chelsea and Tottenham v Liverpool were due to go ahead as planned.
– BBC
Bounce-back for NZ Sail GP crew
The New Zealand Sail GP team’s hopes of making March’s grand final are gone, despite a bounce-back display on the second and final day at the Australian leg of the series.
Needing a couple of big performances after a disappointing opening day on Sydney Harbour, the Kiwi crew put their speed on display to record a second and third place finish in Saturday’s two fleet races.
SailGP boats in action in Sydney. Photo: © Sam Greenfield for SailGP 2020
Higher winds saw all F50s change configurations to high speed boards, high speed rudders and the smallest 18-metre wing, which played to New Zealand’s strengths.
But the results weren’t enough to clinch a place in the final podium race, as New Zealand finished fifth overall for the event.
That left them fifth overall for the season, putting them out of contention for the grand final in San Francisco.
It was a fairy-tale finish in the winner-takes-all final podium race, with hometown crew Australia scoring a convincing victory over Spain and the USA to take out their fourth event this season.
– Reuters
Sparks on a roll in Super Smash
Otago have won their fourth game in-a-row to retain their place at the top of the ladder in the women’s domestic T20 competition.
The Sparks have continued their strong run by easily beating the Central Hinds by seven wickets, bowling them out for just 75 in Napier on Saturday.
Kate Ebrahim. Photo: Photosport
White Fern Kate Ebrahim was the best of the Otago bowlers, returning the impressive figures of 4-13 before the Sparks comfortably chased down the target in just 14 overs.
Otago’s men’s team couldn’t replicate the women in their match, though, losing to competition leaders Central Districts by 53 runs.
The Stags made 180-four batting first, thanks largely to 76 from Greg Hay, before bowling the visitors out for 127.
Sunday’s games featured Wellington hosting Canterbury in both competitions.
National omnium titles decided
Ally Wollaston won her first individual national title as an elite rider, winning the women’s omnium on day two of the Cambridge Three-Day Carnival.
Joining her on the top of the podium was Tokyo Olympian Regan Gough, who claimed his first national omnium crown with an impressive performance.
Ally Wollaston Photo: SWpix.com
There was excitement in the men’s sprint, where Sam Dakin was pushed to a deciding race in the final against endurance rider and fellow Olympian Nick Kergozou.
The women’s sprint honours went to Olympic medallist Ellesse Andrews, who held off a determined challenge from fellow Waikato Bay of Plenty rider Olivia King in two straight rides.
All three Para cyclists – Elizabeth Gasson, Cameron Davies and Lindsay File – enjoyed successful days, all recording personal bests in heats of the 3000m individual pursuit, before bettering those times in the final.
Olympic 100m champ eyeing up 200m
Italy’s double Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs says he will try out the 200 metres in some races next year, moving up from his usual 100m speciality.
Jacobs, who has yet to compete since winning the 100m and 4x100m at this year’s Tokyo Olympics, plans to return to competitive action in Berlin in February.
Photo: AFP / Yomiuri
“This year I’ll try the 200 metres in a few races,” he told Italian daily La Stampa in an interview, adding it was too soon to suggest he might double up at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Jacobs said his training had been going so well that “it scares me a bit to be in such top form in mid-December.”
He will head for Tenerife after Christmas for a spell of winter training with a fellow sprinter to be chosen among four or five candidates including “a couple from England”.
Jacobs, 27, also said that next year he will marry his girlfriend, model and influencer Nicole Daza, and would like to participate with her on a reality TV show.
