Paralympic Winter Games
04 - 13 March

Adam Hall sets World Championship benchmark in countdown to Beijing

'As my wife says, ‘the old man can still pull one out of the hat’' 02 Feb 2022
Imagen
New Zealand's Adam Hall racing to gold
Adam Hall is ready to compete at his fifth Winter Paralympics
ⒸGetty Images
By AMP Media I For The IPC

There is a three-year-old in New Zealand who has the perfect answer to anyone asking where her father has gone.

Daddy is away ‘winning gold medals’ according to Gracelynn Hall, toddler daughter of Kiwi Para Alpine Skiing legend Adam.

“She is at that age where she doesn’t know exactly what is going on but she has a bit of an understanding,” explained Hall, fresh from winning a silver medal in slalom at the World Para Snow Sports Championships in Lillehammer.

“She understands that Dad is away winning gold medals. She has this book she is into, a ballerina book, and she has a friend and they are competitive, very passionate about their own things and they talk about coming together and winning gold medals so Gracelynn says ‘just like Daddy’.”

The Hall family have spent the past two years in New Zealand, unable to leave because of the strict Covid-19 protocols, which denied their decorated Paralympian any international competition. Hall finally left his family behind in November to fly to the Northern Hemisphere. The World Championships provided his first test and he passed with flying colours.

“With New Zealand being shut down, border restrictions, the postponement of the World Championships, it has been difficult. Last season we were not able to leave and compete at all. 

“We made the decision pretty early on that the family would stay home this time. It is a huge sacrifice for sure and probably the greatest sacrifice we have ever made.

“It brings back memories of the first couple of seasons when you first start and you travel to the other side of the world without any family. It’s definitely a little bit more taxing but the family is very supportive of what I am doing.”

Ⓒ Getty Images
 

Hall, 34, who was born with spina bifida, has been competing for 18 years and Beijing 2022 will be his fifth Paralympic Winter Games. He won gold in the men’s slalom standing at Vancouver 2010 and PyeongChang 2018 after suffering health issues at Sochi 2014.

South Korea turned out to be a happy hunting ground – Hall won a bronze medal in the super combined standing. He was also a recipient of the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award, which is given out at every Paralympic Games to one male and one female athlete who each 'best exemplify the spirit of the Games and inspire and excite the world.'

And he was rewarded in New Zealand too, named 2018 Athlete of the Year. What a difference to his first Games (Torino 2006) when he finished 41st, 43rd and 50th in downhill, giant slalom and super-G standing.

“I am definitely recognised. The exposure in New Zealand has been pretty phenomenal over the years and people walk down the street and recognise the performances from Vancouver over 10 years ago. Being a relatively small population, the exposure is great.

“After Torino I could have walked away from that experience and thought ‘bugger this, I’m done’ but for me it was about gaining experience and learning from my competitors about what they were doing to be the best in the world. 

“It’s remarkable that I am where I am 18 years into a career when you never know what is going to happen. I never thought it would last this long and I’m thankful that it has.”

Hall leads Kiwi delegation at Sochi 2014 Opening Ceremony Ⓒ Getty Images


Hall’s silver success at Lillehammer has given him hope he can be in contention in China.

“We wanted a benchmark and we exceeded it. Traditionally slalom has been my strongest event so it was good and pleasing to see that, as my wife says, ‘the old man can still pull one out of the hat’.”