Oamaru athletes win silver medals
Oamaru's Special Olympics athletes are continuing to shine on the world stage.
Snowboarder Brittney McKenzie and alpine skier Katrina Hewett scooped up a silver medal each in their respective categories at the 10th Special Olympics World Winter Games in South Korea.
McKenzie (Special Olympics South Canterbury) added a silver medal to her tally in the Snowboard Intermediate Slalom competition on Sunday, adding to her bronze medal won in the Giant Slalom on January 31.
The medals have kept coming on the Alpine Skiing course, too.
Hewett (Special Olympics North Otago) won silver in the Intermediate Giant Slalom, to add to her bronze medal for her performance in the Alpine Skiing on Saturday, intermediate Super G, with a time of 1m 3.53s.
Head of delegation Brian Benn said it was a tremendous achievement by all athletes.
"We have had some difficult weather and icy conditions over the past couple of days so they did really well," he said.
"Many of our athletes have been upgraded into more advanced divisions, which has added to the challenge, but they have raced admirably."
McKenzie, a former Waitaki Girls' High School student, is coached by Lynne Donaldson, who also looks after Wanaka-based Morgan James who took home the gold medal in the Women's Giant Slalom Intermediate Snowboard - Division 1.
"A very special mention for their coach, Lynne Donaldson, who has put a huge amount of her time and coaching skill into both young women," Benn said.
"It's no accident that they have come out first and second on the international stage."
Benn said McKenzie improved by a second on her second run.
He said it started snowing about 3.30pm, halfway through the award ceremony.
"Our support team did not falter, they stayed for the last Kiwi ceremony and kept making quite a din," he said.
Benn expected today's snow conditions would be quite different and with new snow and the new division anything could happen.
"Fingers and toes crossed," he said. The team has one day left of competition with the Alpine Skiing finals and awards for the Slalom, and divisioning and finals for the Snowboarding Super G, set for today.
All of the athletes will return to New Zealand, victorious, on Thursday.
