Four NSWIS athletes set for 2017 Asian Winter Games

Four NSWIS athletes are part of a 30-member team that has been selected to become Australia’s first event competitors at an Asian Winter Games when they hit the ice and snow in Sapporo in February.

Leading the way for the NSWIS will be three-time Olympian snowboard halfpipe competitor Holly Crawford, along with moguls exponents Jakara Anthony and Cooper Woods-Topalovic and cross country skier Jackson Bursill.

NSW based Vancouver 2010 cross country Olympian Ben Sim, the husband of NSWIS ski cross star Sami Kennedy-Sim, has also been selected to return to international competition.

The team, which features some of the nation’s brightest winter prospects, was selected to compete in snowboard, freestyle skiing, alpine skiing, cross country skiing, biathlon, short track speed skating and figure skating.

The event will give a host of young athletes the opportunity to compete against the continent’s finest as many look to build towards the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

“Our team we have selected for Sapporo 2017 features plenty of athletes on the rise that highlight the continued strengthening of winter sports in Australia,” Chef de Mission Geoff Lipshut said.

“Australia’s first foray into the Asian Winter Games will be a great test for our athletes against some strong competition and will potentially be a stepping stone towards Olympic competition.”

While the team features a number of athletes who regularly compete on the world circuit, the Games will also give the likes of young moguls stars

Woods-Topalovic and Anthony, along with fellow Australians Ben Matsumoto and Sophie Ash some major international event experience.

“I think this will be a great opportunity for me to experience a bigger event atmosphere,” Anthony said.

“The experience will help me manage myself when I achieve qualification to bigger events like World Championships and Olympic Games. I hope to be able to it to enhance my performances at the next Olympics in PyeongChang, if I qualify, and at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.”

The 8th Asian Winter Games will be held from February 19-26 and involve five sports, 11 disciplines and 64 events.

The Olympic Council of Asia invited the Oceania National Olympic Committees to compete in Sapporo as guests, following an approach by the Australian Olympic Committee.

The athletes from Oceania can enter individual sports only and will not be eligible to win medals.

Athletes:

Snowboard
Millie Bongiorno                          Snowboard – Giant Slalom, Slalom
Christian De Oliveira                   Snowboard – Giant Slalom, Slalom
Nicholas Masjuk                           Snowboard – Giant Slalom, Slalom
Holly Crawford                       Snowboard Halfpipe

Moguls
Jakara Anthony                       Freestyle Mogul Skiing, Dual Moguls
Sophie Ash                                      Freestyle Mogul Skiing, Dual Moguls
Ben Matsumoto                             Freestyle Mogul Skiing, Dual Moguls
Cooper Woods-Topalovic     Freestyle Mogul Skiing, Dual Moguls

Alpine
Zanna Farrell                                Alpine – Giant Slalom, Slalom
Liam Michael                                Alpine – Giant Slalom, Slalom

Cross Country Skiing
Jackson Bursill                     Cross Country – 1.4km Sprint*, 10km Classic, 15km Free, 30km Free (Mass Start) 
Ben Sim                                        Cross Country – 1.4km Sprint*, 10km Classic, 15km Free, 30km Free (Mass Start)
Casey Wright                               Cross Country – 1.4km Sprint*, 5km Classic, 10km Free, 15km Free (Mass Start)

Biathlon
Jillian Colebourn                         7.5km Sprint, Mixed Relay
Jeremy Flanagan                         10km Sprint, Mixed Relay
Damon Morton                            12.5km Pursuit, Mixed Relay
Darcie Morton                              10km Pursuit

Short Track Speed Skating
Pierre Boda                                   Short Track (events TBC by mid-Jan)
Denali Blunden
Keanu Blunden
Alex Bryant
Joshua Capponi
Andy Jung
Deanna Lockett

Figure Skating
Kailani Crane                                          Figure Skating – Ladies
Brendan Kerry                                       Figure Skating – Men
Matthew Dodds & Paris Stephens   Figure Skating – Pair
William Badaoui & Matilda Friend   Figure Skating – Ice Dance

Story with olympics.com.au