Talented Australian teenager Britteny Cox was within a short reach of a podium finish at today’s dual moguls World Cup in Kreischberg and left the Austrian resort with an impressive fourth place.
The fighting performance was the eighteen-year-old Australian Institute of Sport / NSW Institute of Sport athlete’s second best result in World Cup competition and elevates her into the top 10 world rankings.
The second round of this season’s World Cup almost looked like it would provide the perfect early Christmas present for the Australian, however, Cox was narrowly out pointed in the consolation final, which decided overall third and fourth places, by world number two, Justine Dufour-Lapointe from Canada.
The final was an all-American dual with Heather McPhie, currently the world’s top ranked moguls skier, who was victorious over Heidi Klosser.
Although Cox was eyeing the second World Cup podium of her career, she goes into the short Christmas break with the knowledge that her performance today had all the hallmarks of a bright season ahead.
Cox improved on the 19th place in Finland a week earlier, by qualifying for the round of 16 in 11th place.
Drawn against world number four Nikola Sudova from the Czech Republic, Cox advanced to the quarters with a tight win.
In the quarters, the Australian’s opponent, Norwegian Hedvig Wessel, was faster down the 212-metre course but the Perisher-based Cox impressed the judges with a better overall run.
Skiing in the semi-final, for a place in the final and a guaranteed gold or silver place, Cox was up against Klosser, number three in the world, but the American had the edge.
The consolation final did not go completely to plan with Cox landing off balance after a 360-degree spin on the first jump.
A few little improvisations momentarily robbed Cox of rhythm, and although Cox clawed back a little of the lost ground, she was unable to make up the difference in points, settling for fourth place.
AIS mogul skiing program head coach Steve Desovich is now looking forward to the season’s transition into the seven rounds of singles World Cup moguls events, starting in Lake Placid on January 17, and World Championships in Norway in March.
“It is great to end the pre-Christmas campaign with such a good result,” Desovich said.
“She has worked very hard and we have had particularly good training and we have just been waiting for something good like this to happen.
“Britt skied the middle sections of today’s course in between the jumps nice and fast. Basically she fought and clawed all day.
“It was not as if she skied particularly great or particularly poorly, she just stayed in there and manufactured a good performance.”
Fellow AIS / NSWIS athlete Matt Graham, who has just finished school and is experiencing his first full World Cup season, had a tough day finishing in 38th.
The men’s event was won by American Byron Wilson, with Olympic gold medallist Alex Bilodeau from Canada in second, while World Cup Champion Mikael Kingsbury was third.
The Australians now have a few days off for Christmas before returning to full training in Steamboat Springs in the United States on December 28.
The fighting performance was the eighteen-year-old Australian Institute of Sport / NSW Institute of Sport athlete’s second best result in World Cup competition and elevates her into the top 10 world rankings.
The second round of this season’s World Cup almost looked like it would provide the perfect early Christmas present for the Australian, however, Cox was narrowly out pointed in the consolation final, which decided overall third and fourth places, by world number two, Justine Dufour-Lapointe from Canada.
The final was an all-American dual with Heather McPhie, currently the world’s top ranked moguls skier, who was victorious over Heidi Klosser.
Although Cox was eyeing the second World Cup podium of her career, she goes into the short Christmas break with the knowledge that her performance today had all the hallmarks of a bright season ahead.
Cox improved on the 19th place in Finland a week earlier, by qualifying for the round of 16 in 11th place.
Drawn against world number four Nikola Sudova from the Czech Republic, Cox advanced to the quarters with a tight win.
In the quarters, the Australian’s opponent, Norwegian Hedvig Wessel, was faster down the 212-metre course but the Perisher-based Cox impressed the judges with a better overall run.
Skiing in the semi-final, for a place in the final and a guaranteed gold or silver place, Cox was up against Klosser, number three in the world, but the American had the edge.
The consolation final did not go completely to plan with Cox landing off balance after a 360-degree spin on the first jump.
A few little improvisations momentarily robbed Cox of rhythm, and although Cox clawed back a little of the lost ground, she was unable to make up the difference in points, settling for fourth place.
AIS mogul skiing program head coach Steve Desovich is now looking forward to the season’s transition into the seven rounds of singles World Cup moguls events, starting in Lake Placid on January 17, and World Championships in Norway in March.
“It is great to end the pre-Christmas campaign with such a good result,” Desovich said.
“She has worked very hard and we have had particularly good training and we have just been waiting for something good like this to happen.
“Britt skied the middle sections of today’s course in between the jumps nice and fast. Basically she fought and clawed all day.
“It was not as if she skied particularly great or particularly poorly, she just stayed in there and manufactured a good performance.”
Fellow AIS / NSWIS athlete Matt Graham, who has just finished school and is experiencing his first full World Cup season, had a tough day finishing in 38th.
The men’s event was won by American Byron Wilson, with Olympic gold medallist Alex Bilodeau from Canada in second, while World Cup Champion Mikael Kingsbury was third.
The Australians now have a few days off for Christmas before returning to full training in Steamboat Springs in the United States on December 28.
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