Season kicks off in NZ

Several NSWIS athletes have kicked off their competitive season at the Cardrona, New Zealand leg of the 2013/14 FIS World Cup.

With one eye on the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, NSWIS skier Russell Henshaw made the most of the conditions to win bronze at the opening event of the season. Henshaw tallied 91.00 points to secure third, just three points in arrears of gold.

The snowboarding events saw Holly Crawford and Nathan Johnstone highlight proceedings with respective seventh place finishes in the women’s and men’s half-pipe events.

The women’s half-pipe also saw NSWIS athletes Alexandra Fitch and Stephanie Magiros in action with the pair finishing 28th and 34th respectively, while in the men’s event Kent Callister finished 16th.

New Zealand also played host to the opening world cup on the Paralympic schedule, with NSWIS athlete Toby Kane headlining the action.

Kane, aiming to compete at his third Paralympic Games, finished fourth in the men’s slalom standing to get his season underway.