Wānaka snowboard sensation Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has won the Supreme Halberg Award and Sportswoman of the Year at the 60th ISPS Handa Halberg Awards ceremony at Spark Arena, Auckland last night (February 15).

Zoi claimed eight event podiums in 2022, including New Zealand's first ever Winter Olympic gold medal, an Olympic silver medal, two X Games gold medals (Slopestyle and Big Air) and a Dew Tour win. She took the top spot at the Natural Selection Baldface Stop, third place at the Natural Selection finals in Alaska and a second-place finish at the Mammoth Mountain Slopestyle World Cup.

In 2022 Zoi was crowned the Snow Sports NZ Athlete of the Year and was awarded the prestigious Lonsdale Cup.

Five of the eight awards at the 2023 Halberg Awards were won by Wānaka snow sport athletes. In addition to Zoi’s awards, Nico Porteus (freeski halfpipe) was named Sportsman of the Year, Corey Peters Para Athlete of the Year, and Gustav Legnavsky (freeski halfpipe) won the Emerging Talent Award.   

Nico is ranked the number one freeski halfpipe competitor in the world after claiming gold at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, defending his X Games title and winning the Mammoth Mountain World Cup.

Corey won gold and silver at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, and Gustav, at 16 years-of-age, was the youngest athlete competing in the freeski halfpipe in Beijing and won the prestigious freeski halfpipe Junior World Championships in Leysin, Switzerland.

Zoi, Nico and Corey were appointed to the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2023 New Year's Honours list.

Coach of the Year was won by Black Ferns coach Wayne Smith, the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award went to All Black 7s captain Sarah Hirini, the Black Ferns were awarded team of the year, and the public voted the Black Ferns winning the final lineout of the game against the throw, 5 metres from their tryline, to win the World Cup as the Favourite Sporting Moment.

The ISPS Handa Halberg Awards is New Zealand's leading event to honour and celebrate New Zealand's sporting excellence and raise funds for Sir Murray Halberg's charity the Halberg Foundation, which aims to enhance the lives of physically disabled young Kiwis through sport and recreation.

PHOTOS: Halberg Awards