Selected for the NZ Paralympic Team at Milano Cortina 2026 earlier this week, Adam Hall is all set for a record-equalling sixth Paralympic Games appearance. Marking this achievement, we reminisce with Adam about his second Paralympic gold medal success at PyeongChang 2018.
Almost eight years to the day of his first Paralympic gold medal at Vancouver 2010 – Paralympian #158 Adam Hall MNZM produced a storming second run to regain the Men’s Slalom Standing title in exhilarating style at Pyeongchang 2018.
Following his first run, where he was sat equal third, the then 30-year-old Kiwi drew from his vast experience to remain calm and composed and skied a glorious second run at the Jeongseon Alpine Center to clinch gold by a 0.39 second margin.
Disappointed to miss the podium at Sochi 2014 after his success in Vancouver four years earlier, Adam worked hard on becoming a technically, tactically and physically better skier in time for PyeongChang 2018.
Winning a bronze medal in the Super Combined event (which comprises Super-G and Slalom) behind Alexey Bugaev, a Neutral Paralympic Athlete, earlier in the week had given him confidence he could perform well in his favoured Men’s Slalom Standing discipline.
However, as he recalls, his warm up runs did not go as well as he would have hoped.
“I wanted to get a good feel on my edges, but I struggled and blew out on every run,” he says. “I got a gate caught under my visor which struck my neck, which is something that had never happened before. I recall the physio and Chef de Mission witnessed this, which must have made them wonder how the day was going to end!”
Yet Adam quickly had to put the inconvenience behind him, trust in the process and believe all the hard work he put in over the previous four years could reap rewards.
As one of the more experienced Para alpine skiers in the field he was used to coaches approaching him before the race not to say good luck but to say ‘you are smarter than the rest.’ A sentiment which gave him confidence.
After Bugaev – one of his main rivals – DNF’d (Did Not Finish) his first run, Adam was ranked equal third, recording 48.69 – narrowly behind American Jamie Stanton (48.51) and Arthur Bauchet of France (48.54).
In a position where Adam believed he “had nothing to lose” he also kept his composure when presented with a course report from the coaches leading into the second run.
“I knew the course had some technical and challenging aspects, but I just had to keep my focus, shut out the white noise and stick to the plan,” he adds.
With the field going in reverse order in the second run, the Dunedin-raised Kiwi was the third last competitor on course. On a warm day with a significant amount of salt laid down to keep the slopes in good condition, Adam launched out of the start gate with one aim – “to push as hard as possible.”
The run went smoothly. He crossed the line in 47.42 to record a cumulative two run time of 1:36.11 to catapult into provisional gold. With only Bauchet and Stanton left on the course he faced a nervous wait to determine the final outcome.
“I knew I had put in the maximum effort and put in everything I could,” he recalls. “I just then had to wait for the others to come which is a daunting position. There is a German term which best describes how you feel – schadenfreude (a pleasure in deriving from others misfortune). You are mentally hoping the field will blow out, although of course you are not wishing ill will on anyone.”
Adam got his wish. Bauchet, who was next out the gate, registered a 47.96 for a total time of 1:36.50. Stanton skied a 48.86 for a total time of 1:37.37 and had to settle for bronze. The New Zealander had bagged gold and the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award, one of two Paralympians (one man and one women) who best exemplify the spirit of the Paralympic Games and Paralympic values.
“When I look back at that campaign it was amazing to have an eight-year gap between Paralympic gold medals as and I don’t think many athletes have achieved that. To be an older athlete and deliver was very cool.”
