Ciao and greetings from Italy!
The NZ Paralympic Team were back on the snow again in Cortina, with Paralympian #188 Corey Peters MNZM rounding out his campaign with a third top six finish (5th in Giant Slalom), and Paralympian #158 Adam Hall MNZM getting some time on the snow in competition mode, placing 22nd, with some insights gained ahead of his favourite event, Slalom, which will close out the Games on Sunday.
The crowds attending the Games, much like they were at Paris 2024, have been in full voice and a great addition to the already exciting action taking place on the field of play. The locals have had plenty to cheer about, including another gold and silver in the Giant Slalom events. It was particularly great to see a large group of school children attending the Games today, and also getting into the spirit, with faces painted, flags as capes, and full noise. Having positive role models with a disability advances the Paralympic Movement, through enhanced education and awareness, and changes attitudes generationally, and the Italian Paralympians are now becoming household names across the country as a result of the Games, and their performances.
Aside from the local crowds, family and friend support groups from around the globe are central to the atmosphere being generated, with special mention to The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, France, Argentina, and our neighbours across the ditch, Australia, with the regular Oi-Oi-Oi ringing out in response to the in-venue announcers challenge.
And the Kiwi contingent has also been playing their part too. With New Zealand and silver fern flags, faces painted, and even today, taking part in a quiz to correctly identify the first Sit-Skier to perform a back-flip (Canadian Josh Dueck), the mahi extends from the snow to the stands and back. Each time the Kiwi supporters are featured on the big screen, commentary is accompanied with a kia ora New Zealand!
There is one exception to the level of noise being generated – during the events for Paralympians with a vision impairment. Given the important connection between Paralympian and their sighted-Guide (both from a performance and a safety perspective), the in-venue presentation, music, commentary and crowd engagement, is somewhat muted, including advising the crowds to hold their applause and celebration, until each pairing has successfully crossed the finish line, following which each performance is met with the same level of thunderous applause, and the music is pumped up once again.
I’ll leave you with a panoramic image of the incredibly scenic host region of the Games, with some of the mountains surrounding Cortina, as more clouds begin to roll in ahead of the penultimate day of the Games. Whilst no members of the NZ Paralympic Team are in action on Saturday (local time), gold medals will be decided in the Wheelchair curling Mixed Team event, with China taking on the undefeated Canada, and more action and medals in women’s Para alpine skiing and Para cross country, with classification rounds of the Para ice hockey.
Ngā mihi and grazie!
