Kiwi gold medal favourite Nico Porteous says he's remaining focused on the task at hand at the Beijing Winter Olympics, despite the weight of expectation on his shoulders.
The 20-year-old freeskier touched down in the Chinese capital this week and said he's "really excited" to drop into the halfpipe in the coming days.
Porteous is the gold medal favourite for the men's freeski halfpipe competition, coming into the Olympics as the defending X Games and world champion.
The spotlight is a lot brighter compared to four years ago in PyeongChang, when a 16-year-old Porteous came from near obscurity to win bronze.
Despite the pressure and expectations, Porteous said he was more mature and at peace with himself.
"I’m feeling really good and at the end of the day I can only really worry about my skiing. That’s something I wish my 16-year-old self knew.
"Coming into these Games it’s a little bit different because I feel more mature in my mental state and I realise I’ve only got one job and that’s to go out there, try my best and leave it all out on the table."
Porteous begins his Olympic campaign next Thursday with halfpipe qualifying, with an eye on the final on Saturday.
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