17-year-old Wānaka athlete Baxter Pollard has been named to the New Zealand Team for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
Pollard will compete in biathlon, contesting the men’s 7.5km sprint and the men’s 12.km individual discipline.
“I was really excited to hear I was selected,” said Pollard.
“After spending the last two weeks racing against both juniors and youth, I am really looking forward to having some races against people my age, and also the correct distances! I think the games will be really enjoyable and a wonderful experience.”
“I started cross country skiing through the Mt Aspiring College programme and moved into biathlon due to encouragement of the people at Snow Farm like Mary Lee and my first coaches Tim & Nicole David. We are super lucky in Wānaka to have former Olympic Biathlete and incredible coach, Jason Sklenar, and he has been amazing at helping me get to this point.”
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The selection rounds out the New Zealand Team for the Games which will be made up of 21 athletes, consisting of 12 freestyle ski and snowboard athletes, four curlers, two alpine ski racers, one luge athlete, and one figure skater, as well as Pollard.
All snow sports athletes have now received their quota places for the Games. Alpine athlete Ruby Fullerton has also been conditionally selected to the team, subject to the NZOC receiving a reallocated second female alpine quota by January 4th. Fullerton will be added to team numbers if a quota is made available.
The full team can be viewed here.
Biathlon New Zealand (BNZ) Chairman Tim David says they’re immensely proud that Pollard has been selected.
“Baxter has worked tirelessly at Wanaka Biathlon Club's biathlon range at Snow Farm and at the recent IBU Development Camp in Slovenia. We wish him the very best of luck in the coming games," said David.
NZOC CEO Nicki Nicol extended her congratulations to Pollard.
“We’re thrilled to have Baxter named to the team,” said Nicol.
“New Zealand has a proud history in biathlon at the Winter Youth Olympic Games and we look forward to watching Baxter wear the fern and add to that legacy in Gangwon.”
The biathlon competition will begin on January 20th at the Biathlon Centre.