From the Director of High Performance
Welcome to our final HPSNZ Update for 2025.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank all of you who have been involved in delivering some outstanding results during this year.
You have delivered 58 ‘podium’ finishes at benchmark events, across a range of sports and disciplines.
Highlights included
- Athletics NZ had its most successful World Championships in history, with three medals (two Golds and a Silver).
- Lisa Adams made a successful comeback to competition this year, with a decisive gold medal at her first World Championships Paralympics since her return, an event which also saw Danielle Aitchison win two world championship golds.
- In the 2024/ 25 northern hemisphere season, Snow Sports NZ had 4 World Championship medallists (Including 3 Gold Medallists)
- Alice Robinson became the first NZ Alpine ski racer to win a senior World Championship medal and has gone on to become the most successful World Cup alpine skier outside of European and North American athletes.
- Sammie Maxwell was the overall winner of the Mountain Bike World Series, becoming the first Kiwi to win this title.
- Cam Leslie was back on the podium, with 2 silver medals at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships.
Alongside the year’s results, I believe we can also reflect positively on a year which has seen real progress in our partnerships with NSOs, leading to a more joined up, collaborative approach to performance and wellbeing, which is a great place to be for the future and a credit to all involved.
As 2025 draws to a close, all eyes turn to Milano Cortina 26 where the Olympic Winter Games are underway from 6 February, followed by the Paralympic Games.
The preparation that has gone into the athlete campaigns from Snow Sports New Zealand, with support from our people, has been nothing short of outstanding. We all know the tiny margins that make the difference in sport at the highest level, but what we can say with certainty is that the New Zealand Team heading to Milano Cortina will be the largest and best prepared team New Zealand has ever sent to the Games.
This HPSNZ Update features two stories on our work with Snow Sports NZ to prepare for Milano Cortina. We talk to HPSNZ Head of Goldmine Innovation Simon Briscoe abou the work that team has done with alpine skier Alice Robinson and the park and pipe athletes and we talk to HPSNZ Coaching Consultant Christian Penny about the work he has been doing with Freeski coach Hamish McDougall.
We also look forward to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games with a focus on weightlifting.
A big thank you to all the athletes, coaches, NSOs and others we have worked with this year. We wish you all a happy, safe and relaxing festive season and look forward to reconnecting and carrying on the mahi in 2026.
Ngā mihi nui
Steve
Parakiore: A new era for high performance sport in Christchurch
Photo: John Davidson / www.photosport.nz
After years of anticipation, HPSNZ has officially opened its new base at Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre in Christchurch – a world-class, fit-for-purpose facility designed to support New Zealand’s top athletes and the teams behind them.
The Parakiore base represents more than just bricks and mortar; it’s a home for excellence. “It’s nice to be able to give athletes a space where they feel world-class, because they are, or aspire to be,” says Andrew Ellis, HPSNZ’s South Island Regional Manager.
The facility has been carefully designed to foster collaboration and innovation, ensuring athletes receive integrated support from performance health, strength and conditioning, and other athlete specialist teams.
Two simple innovations giving Kiwi athletes the edge for Milano Cortina 2026
As the countdown to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games begins, two smart, high-impact projects from HPSNZ’s Goldmine Innovation team are helping Snow Sports NZ athletes sharpen their competitive edge.
Headline alpine skier, Alice Robinson, and a talented group of park and pipe athletes have been the first to benefit from these initiatives—proof that innovation doesn’t always mean flashy tech; sometimes it’s about delivering the right information at the right time.
Coaching support driving freeski success ahead of Milano Cortina 2026
HPSNZ is working closely with Snow Sports NZ to ensure its top freeski athletes—and their coach—are primed for success at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Central to this effort is the tailored coaching consultancy support being provided to Hamish McDougall, Snow Sports NZ’s high performance freeski coach.
Hamish is guiding three world-class freeskiers, including NZ Team athlete Luca Harrington, recently named Snow Sports NZ Athlete of the Year. All three athletes are genuine podium contenders for 2026, making this phase of preparation critical.
To help Hamish deliver at the highest level, HPSNZ Coaching Consultant Christian Penny has been working alongside him since late 2024.
Continue reading Hamish and Christian’s journey to Milano Cortina 2026 ➜
Duane Kale appointed HPSNZ and Sport NZ Chair
www.photosport.nz
Congratulations to Duane Kale for his appointment as HPSNZ and Sport NZ Chair.
Duane brings a wealth of experience to our organisation and the sector. He has served as Deputy Chair of both organisations since 2023 and is widely respected as an independent director and sports sector leader. Duane has been a member of the Paralympics New Zealand Board and the International Paralympic Committee since 2013, holding the role of Vice President since 2017. He was recently presented with the Paralympic Order, the highest level of recognition awarded to individuals associated with the Paralympic Movement.
Glasgow 2026 – Weightlifting aims to continue podium success
www.photosport.nz
HPSNZ is working with Weightlifting athletes at both ends of the Performance Pathway as they build towards the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Multiple Commonwealth Games medallist and experienced Olympic lifter, David Liti, as an Elite TAPS athlete, works with a number of HPSNZ’s Athlete Performance Support (APS) team including performance nutritionist Christel Dunshea-Mooij and Physiotherapist Louise Johnson.
At the other end of the experience scale is 19-year-old Olivia Selemaia who came within a whisker of a bronze medal at the 2025 World Championships.
Olivia was part of HPSNZ’s Performance Pathways programme in 2022/23 which focused on developing her transition readiness in sport and life by helping her develop a long-term plan that aligned with her short-term plan and set up her support networks.
Highest ever number of PM’s Scholarship internship applicants for 2026
www.photosport.nz
As the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Internship programme enters its fifth year, application numbers have outstripped those for any previous year.
Athletes were required to prepare a detailed application including CV, cover letter, sport and career plans.
HPSNZ Prime Minister’s Scholarship Internship programme lead Hannah McLean says the shortlisted athletes were interviewed by a panel to simulate a job interview.
Te Hāpaitanga and APO hit the high notes
What do aspiring high performance sports coaches and members of an elite orchestra have in common?
They both strive for the high notes of excellence says HPSNZ Te Hāpaitanga programme lead, Jody Cameron, who recently worked with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO) to deliver a unique and unforgettable residential for the eight women of cohort five.
“I was really impressed with the presentation at this year’s Performance Summit by Eileen Strempel, the opera singer and UCLA’s Dean of Music, which focused on excellence in high performance, whether in the arts, music or sport,” says Jody.
“So when Tom Hamill, the APO’s Senior Director of Strategy and Engagement who moonlights as an outstanding photographer for HPSNZ, suggested the learning synergies between his organisation and ours it sparked the idea for the three-day residential.”
Female health issues that can impact performance
Female athletes may be able to enhance their performance with early evidence-based health support around common female-specific conditions.
Globally there is low understanding around female athlete health issues impacting performance, and alongside an avalanche of social media misinformation, this can mean athletes do not seek early help for health concerns or miss early warning signs.
The impact on female athlete performance can be significant with reduced ability to complete trainings, lowered performance gains and at times leaving sport and competition altogether.
Learn more about female health issues that can impact performance ➜