New Zealand's flagbearers Finn Bilous and Alice Robinson will both be presented with special Maori capes to wear in the Beijing 2022 Opening Ceremony ©NZOC

New Zealand have named freestyle skier Finn Bilous and Alpine skier Alice Robinson as joint flagbearers for the Beijing 2022 Opening Ceremony tomorrow.

Chef de Mission Marty Toomey, who was responsible for choosing the pair for the event at the Beijing National Stadium, made the formal announcement.

"Alice and Finn embody the spirit and mana of our Winter Olympic team," Toomey said.

"They are great athletes who are trailblazers for their sports in New Zealand and role models for aspiring Kiwi athletes. 

"They are both leaders off the field of play in both the sporting and wider community.

"We look forward to watching them wave our flag with pride as they lead the New Zealand Team into the Opening Ceremony."

New Zealand flagbearers are known in Maori as "Nga Pou Hapai" and Bilous and Robinson will each wear "Te Māhutonga",a special cloak worn by New Zealand  flagbearers since Athens 2004.

The 20-year-old Robinson was actually born in Sydney in Australia but her parents moved to New Zealand when she was four.

The most notable performance of her career was winning the gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2019 International Ski Federation Junior World Championships in Val di Fassa.

"This is an extremely special moment for me, my team, and my family and it means so much to be given the opportunity to carry the flag," Robinson said.

“I’m really looking forward to representing our beautiful country in the opening ceremony and I can’t wait to put the fern on and get into competition."

The 22-year-old Bilous won a bronze medal in the big air at the 2018 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships in Utah.

Like Robinson, he will be competing in his second Olympics.

Freestyle skier Beau-James Wells carried New Zealand's flag at the Opening Ceremony of Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images
Freestyle skier Beau-James Wells carried New Zealand's flag at the Opening Ceremony of Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images

At Pyeongchang 2018, another freestyle skier Beau-James Wells carried New Zealand's flag in the Opening Ceremony.

"This is a pretty unreal, I’m extremely proud to be one of our flagbearers and I’ll be waving that thing with a massive grin on my face," Bilous said.

"If you look back over New Zealand’s Olympic flag bearers, it’s an amazing list of people and I’m super honoured to be adding my name to that list."

New Zealand made its debut at the Winter Olympic Games in Oslo in 1952 and have competed in every edition since Grenoble 1968.

They have won a total of three medals, including two bronze at Pyeongchang 2018.

New Zealand's best performance was at Albertville 1992 when Annelise Coberger won a silver medal in the women's slalom.