Sadowski-Synnott was awarded both the Supreme Award and Sportswoman of the Year, after becoming the first Kiwi to win Winter Olympics gold at Beijing 2022.
But she wasn’t the only family member to take centre stage after her father Sean Synnot delivered a rather colourful acceptance speech on behalf of his daughter.
With the 21-year-old gold-medallist unable to attend due to overseas commitments, it was left up to her dad to steal the show.
Getting up on stage to accept Zoi’s Sportswoman of the Year award, he began with a colourful admission: “Well, once again, Zoe f***ing didn’t record a speech in case she won,” he quipped as the audience laughed.
But it was when his daughter won the Supreme Halberg Award that her father took the spotlight.
“On behalf of Zoe, I would just like to say what the f***,” he joked, after receiving the award, with those in attendance applauding their appreciation.
“She did say to us about three or four weeks ago, what the f***, if I’m not going to win it this year, I’m never gonna win it,” he quipped in reference to her astonishing gold and silver medal haul in Bejing.
“So, but obviously not taking away from anybody else in the sports community, I like to make light of it because it’s incredibly stressful being a period of a high-performance athlete who doesn’t want to turn up for awards speeches and avoids them at all costs, even if they’re prerecorded, written for them, whatever else,” he joked.
“I’d just like to say that there are so many people here today that can actually contribute to the Halberg Foundation - and I know you’re all sitting in the first half here - that could get their chequebooks out and do that.
“If it’s not directly, by making a donation, it’s by supporting athletes across the motu, encouraging people to participate and making sure we recognise how important sport achievement is to everyone, how they feel, how they respond to dire situations like we are [in] at the moment.
“We might not be in, but people across the country are, so I’d like to thank everyone for their recognition of Zoi and I’m going to get off the stage, before I ramble on too much longer.
“Thank you very much on behalf of Zoi, she will be incredibly proud.”
While Sean’s speech provided another iconic moment of New Zealand television, he took the time to play tribute to those impacted by the deadly cyclone that devastated the North Island.
“Like everyone else tonight, I would like to recognise what the rest of the country is going through at the moment with the challenges after the cyclone,” he said.
“And a big shout-out to all of those first responders and everyone that is looking after whanau across the country.
“Congratulations to the Government for pulling together a response, after some unexpected events in Auckland over the last few weeks.”
Kiwis reacted to Sean’s colourful speech, with some saying it was nice to see some colour at an awards night.
“Zoi’s dad was a much-needed breath of fresh air after a painful few hours,” one person wrote.
Another said: “Everything is so scripted nowadays. It’s good to see a true blue Kiwi father sharing a real-life anecdote without any censorship.”
However, some people disagreed, including sports commentator Keith Quinn.
“Murray Halberg was a very dignified & great Kiwi. The glittering Awards Show in his memory last night did not deserve the low-rent, foul-mouthed speech given by the father of the night’s Top winner, Zoe Sadowski-Synnott. (The F-word 4 times) In future can he be told to stay away,” he tweeted.
It’s not the first time he has let an F-bomb fly during an interview.
Last year, after Zoi won Olympic gold, Sean was asked for his reaction following his daughter’s incredible achievement - and the interview went down as an iconic moment of 2022.
