Aerial skier Laura Peel narrowly missed capturing her second World Cup medal within three weeks when she fought out a nail-biting final in Deer Valley, USA.
The 22-year-old Mt Buller skier finished the high quality final in fourth place, just behind world number four Fanyu Kong from China in third spot, but one place higher than Ukrainian Olga Volkova, who is currently ranked third in the World and the reigning World Championship bronze medalist.
China’s Mengtao Xu was victorious, her countrywoman Cheng Shuang was second.
Fourth place earned the Australian Institute of Sport / Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship holder another 50 World Cup points, moving her up two places to sixth in the world, just seven points away from fifth.
All four members of Australia’s women’s aerial team qualified for the finals – Samantha Wells backed up her fifth in Calgary five days ago with a ninth today, Renee McElduff placed 11th and Danielle Scott finished 12th.
But clearly top honours among the Australians went to Peel, who made her presence in the night event felt right from the start.
She grabbed the sixth highest score in qualifying, then a very impressive win in the round of twelve with a high scoring Full Full at 91 points, followed by an almost perfect Lay Full at 86 points in the round of eight, which led to her appearance in the super-final, a one jump shoot-out between the top four athletes on the day.
“It was a big surprise getting into the top four,” Peel admitted.
“In making two top-four finals this year, I have now achieved my goal for the season, but I just want to keep going.”
Peel added that she is thrilled to have achieved a third, fourth and fifth place in the five World Cup events held so far this season.
“Last year I was just sneaking into some of the finals but this year it is nice to be up the top,” Peel said.
Today’s Deer Valley World Cup event is the half way stage of the season. Coaching staff have decided that their young and developing athletes will be rested for a week, missing the next round in China on February 11, but will reload when the series moves to Europe for the seventh round in Kreischberg, Austria.
The 22-year-old Mt Buller skier finished the high quality final in fourth place, just behind world number four Fanyu Kong from China in third spot, but one place higher than Ukrainian Olga Volkova, who is currently ranked third in the World and the reigning World Championship bronze medalist.
China’s Mengtao Xu was victorious, her countrywoman Cheng Shuang was second.
Fourth place earned the Australian Institute of Sport / Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship holder another 50 World Cup points, moving her up two places to sixth in the world, just seven points away from fifth.
All four members of Australia’s women’s aerial team qualified for the finals – Samantha Wells backed up her fifth in Calgary five days ago with a ninth today, Renee McElduff placed 11th and Danielle Scott finished 12th.
But clearly top honours among the Australians went to Peel, who made her presence in the night event felt right from the start.
She grabbed the sixth highest score in qualifying, then a very impressive win in the round of twelve with a high scoring Full Full at 91 points, followed by an almost perfect Lay Full at 86 points in the round of eight, which led to her appearance in the super-final, a one jump shoot-out between the top four athletes on the day.
“It was a big surprise getting into the top four,” Peel admitted.
“In making two top-four finals this year, I have now achieved my goal for the season, but I just want to keep going.”
Peel added that she is thrilled to have achieved a third, fourth and fifth place in the five World Cup events held so far this season.
“Last year I was just sneaking into some of the finals but this year it is nice to be up the top,” Peel said.
Today’s Deer Valley World Cup event is the half way stage of the season. Coaching staff have decided that their young and developing athletes will be rested for a week, missing the next round in China on February 11, but will reload when the series moves to Europe for the seventh round in Kreischberg, Austria.
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