Sadowski Synnott is 1st Kiwi Winter Olympics gold medalist
By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
BEIJING (AP) — The land of the long white cloud has its first Winter Olympics gold medal. Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand threw down a thrilling run on her last trip down the Secret Garden Olympic Slopestyle course to claim the gold medal for her island nation. The 20-year-old Sadowski Synnot is an Australian-born shredder with an American mother and a Kiwi father. They moved to New Zealand’s South Island when she was 6. New Zealand is best-known for its beloved All Blacks rugby team. But it also has mountain resorts and is one of the top destinations in the Southern Hemisphere for snowboarding and skiing.