Several changes have been made to improve the event, which is expected to attract many of the world’s top winter athletes. The games run from August 25 to September 10, with an estimated 700-800 athletes from more than 40 countries set to compete. They are to be held in and around Wanaka, Queenstown and Naseby.
"I think that the programme that we’ve got for this year’s event is definitely the best that we’ve had," Winter Games NZ CEO Arthur Klap said.
"We’ve made a few key changes. The advantage of the games is that because we’re a charitable trust we own the event, so we can shape it how we feel is the best way of organising it from what we’ve learnt each time."
Those changes include having the event start at the end of August, rather than the start, to avoid the busy period through that month. It will now also encompass both the Treble Cone and Remarkables skifields and boasts a wide range of events.
The event offers a chance to earn qualifying points for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, a major incentive for athletes to compete.
"I’m super confident we’ll have — especially in the freeski and the snowboard — all the top competitors."
It would also likely feature all of Otago’s top snowsports athletes, the majority of which base themselves out of Wanaka.
The event would look to change from a biennial to an annual one, with finances being the only barrier to doing so.
"The demand is definitely there. It’s just a case of making sure we’ve got the money to back that up. So the intent is to go annual. We’re close to being able to make a decision. We’ve just got one part of the financial puzzle to sort out to give the board enough confidence to take that risk to go annual through to 2021."
All parties involved supported switching to an annual event. It would make planning easier, knowing it would be held at the same time every year.
The event rates as one of the top five winter sports events in the world and the best in the southern hemisphere.
