Ben Griffin (23)
Alpine skier
Lives: Ohakune (born Wellington).
Event: Super G and giant slalom.
Both events involves skiing between sets of spaced poles or gates.
Giant slalom is a technical event and has more gates, spaced more narrowly than super G.
Super G is a speed event, incorporating aspects of downhill alpine skiing.
Background: Griffin first represented New Zealand in 2001 and has been a member of the alpine team since 2005.
He won the FIS super G in Austria in 2008 and the 2009 Australia and New Zealand Cup.
Last month he finished seventh at an FIS super G event at Santa Caterina Valfurva, Italy.
Chances: Griffin is New Zealand's fastest alpine skier and ranked in the mid-200s in the world for his disciplines.
He wants to make a career of alpine skiing and would love to be New Zealand's first alpine gold medallist.
In a speed-obsessed sport, 1mm can be all it takes to separate the winners from the losers.
He has beaten enough skiers inside the top 50 to know on his day he can match some of the world's best.
Griffin has fought to regain his form following a trampoline accident in 2008, where he broke his neck.
He was training and racing earlier in the northern hemisphere with a broken hand.
A top-10 finish is possible.
Race day: February 19 (super G), February 21 (giant slalom) at Whistler.
