100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games secures first entry

100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games secures first entry

LAKE WANAKA, New Zealand (February 21, 2011) - Despite entries not due to open until next month, 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games this week signed up its first competitor, New Zealand ski cross athlete, Sam Hazeldine (32) of Queenstown.

The former New Zealand Freeski Champion, Extreme Ski Champion and Ski Cross Champion, has his sights set on a podium at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia and Winter Games NZ is the first step towards achieving that goal.

The high calibre international field at Winter Games NZ allows athletes to use the event to earn valuable FIS points. Hazeldine, who is aiming for a top finish at the Games, will use these points to gain a spot on the FIS World Cup circuit during the 2011/2012 Northern Hemisphere season which, if all goes to plan, will see him secure a spot on the New Zealand team for Sochi.

“100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games is a fantastic opportunity to race against the current best in the world and earn enough points to qualify for what I want to do,” said Hazeldine. “There’s one spot for a male New Zealander in the World Cup and hopefully my results from Winter Games will secure that spot.”

Hazledine’s background and age make him an ideal contender for this technical and fast-paced sport.

“Ski cross combines freeride big mountain skiing, where you need to be able to adapt to conditions and respond to conditions which generally requires experience, with racing experience. The athletes tend to be older and at the moment I’m in the best physical shape I’ve ever been and I’ve been training hard with the New Zealand Alpine Ski Racing Team, together with the Queenstown Alpine Ski Team.”

Off the snow, Hazeldine is a doctor and runs Medirecruit, a recruitment consultancy for doctors throughout Australasia, based out of Queenstown. In 2009 it was listed by Deloittes as the fastest growing service business in New Zealand.

100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games takes place from 12 – 28 August 2011 featuring a full off-snow festival programme as well as world-class snow and ice competition in Dunedin, Naseby, Queenstown, Wanaka and Methven.

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