Aerial skier Gabi Ash has won the second medal of her career, taking bronze on day two at the Nor-Am Cup event in Le Relais, Quebec, Canada.

The VIS athlete rebounded from an 11th place finish on day one, to record her second podium performance in as many weeks, finishing in third place on the second day of competition behind Americans Karyl Loeb and Karenna Elliot. Ash had a personal best in the final executing an almost perfect Lay Tuck scoring 73.58 points.

Teammate Airleigh Frigo had a personal best sixth place finish on day one, and finished in 10th on day two.

Also competing for Australia in the men's event was Wesley Naylor, who finished 16th on day one, and 11th on day two.
 
IMAGE: Gabi Ash (right) on the podium in Le Relais

VIS Aerial Skier Laura Peel has moved into number one on the World Cup standings with one event remaining, after finishing fourth in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Peel qualified for finals in first place, and went through to the medal final also in first, but unfortunately missed her landing on her Full-Tuck-Full triple back somersault, just missing the podium by one place.

Taking the win was Nadiya Mokhnatska of the Ukraine, with American Megan Nick in second, and local skier Zhanbota Aldabergenova of Kazakhstan in third.

Ahead of the final event, Peel sits in first in place on the World Cup standings with 369 points, with Mengtao Xu of China in second with 325 points, and Aliaksandra Ramanouskaya from Belarus third with 260 points.

Abbey Willcox finished in 14th place, and currently sits 12th on the standings.

The final event of the season will take place in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, on March 8th.

Australian aerial skier Laura Peel has claimed victory overnight at the FIS World Cup event at the Raubichi ski resort in Minsk, Belarus, recording her first gold medal and third podium performance of the season.
 
The 2015 World Champion from Canberra achieved the highest jump score of her career to win gold, scoring a huge 106.53 points with her full-tuck-full, double twisting, triple backflip somersault.  
 
Rounding out the podium was Mengtao Xu of China, and her teammate Sicun Xu in third.
 
“It’s an amazing feeling”, an excited Peel commented after the event.
 
“I’ve definitely been wanting to crack the 100 point mark for a while, I came pretty close last week. But to put down my best jumps when it matters is awesome, all the hard work is coming together.”
 
“It was tough out there, last week we weren’t sure if the event would even be able to go ahead but everyone put in a lot of work so we could jump tonight. We didn’t get a lot of training jumps and today we had some wind and rain, but I think it’s those kind of moments where my experience really pays off.”
 
“We’ve got two events left and I want to keep doing my best jumps and gain more and more experience on the triple.”
 
The performance marks the third World Cup victory of the VIS athletes career (3 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze).
 
Following the victory, Peel has now moved up into second place on the FIS World Cup standings with two events remaining in the season. Peel is on 319 points, just 6 points behind World Cup leader Mengtao Xu of China.

Unfortunately VIS teammate Abbey Willcox was unable to compete after sustaining an injury during training.

The next stop on the World Cup tour for the aerial skiing athletes will take place next weekend in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Aerial skier Gabi Ash has won the first medal of her aerial skiing career, taking bronze at the Nor-Am Cup event at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah, USA.

The VIS athlete started the first two days of competition with a fourth place finish on day one, with her lay-tuck double back somersault scoring 67.60 points. Just missing out on the six woman final was VIS teammate Airleigh Frigo in eighth place.

On day two, Ash went one place better, finishing in the bronze medal position scoring 69.42 points for her lacy-tuck jump. Airleigh Frigo also again just missed the final, finish in seventh.

Also competing for Australia in the men's event was Wesley Naylor, who finished ninth on day one, and 14th on day two.
 
The next competition for the Nor-Am athletes will be at La Relais, Quebec, Canada at the end of the month.

IMAGE: Gabi Ash flying high above Deer Valley in the World Cup event earlier in February © OWIA/Chris Hocking

VIS aerial skier Laura Peel has claimed a silver medal in a spectacular city venue located in downtown Moscow, Russia, her second World Cup podium performance of the season.
 
The 2015 World Champion from Canberra performed one of the best triple back somersaults of her career in the first round of finals, with her lay-tuck-full jump scoring 98.68 points to advance to the super final in first place.
 
In the super final medal round, Peel increased her degree of difficulty, adding an extra twist to her triple, competing a full-tuck-full jump. Peel scored 91.42 points to finish in second place, with Belarusian Hannah Huskova taking the win and Russian Sofia Alekseeva rounding out the podium in third place.
 
“I’m really happy with how my season is going,” Peel commented after the event.
 
“The plan going in was to qualify for finals with my triple twisting doubles and keep them at a high standard and then compete triples for finals. It’s my first year on the triple and I’m getting a lot of awesome experience, and I’m excited for what’s to come.”
 
“It was an awesome set up jumping in the city. There was a big crowd and fireworks, they really made it a show which was a lot of fun.”
 
“We had six women jumping triple backflips in the final and that’s really cool to see. The women’s field is continuing to push and that’s exciting for the sport. “
 
In taking silver, the performance marks the 11th World Cup podium of the 30 year old athletes career (2 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze).
 
With two events remaining in the season, Laura Peel is currently ranked third on the FIS World Cup standings, with teammate Abbey Willcox in seventh, after finishing 14th in Moscow.
 
The next stop on the World Cup tour for the aerial skiing athletes will take place next weekend in Raubichi, Belarus. 

Abbey Willcox has had a breakthrough performance to claim the first World Cup medal of her career, winning bronze under lights in Deer Valley, USA.
 
The 23 year old VIS athlete qualified for finals in fourth place, and finished in fifth place in the first round of finals to advance to the top six super final.
 
Willcox landed her lay-full double back somersault in the super final, to give her 81.78 points and the bronze medal, with 2019 World Champion Aliaksandra Ramanouskaya of Belarus taking victory with a big score of 106.74, and American Megan Nick in second place with 83.89 points.
 
“It feels absolutely unreal and to be doing it in Deer Valley with this crowd is amazing,” an excited Willcox said after the event.
 
“A lot of nerve’s, a lot of adrenaline, a lot of excitement.”
 
“It was my first time in the finals and on the podium so I had all sorts of emotions going on.”
 
“We has a couple of tricky days training, it was snowing a lot and I knew I could jump during the snow, during the wind because we’ve had a lot of practice for that in the past, so I just took it jump by jump.”
 
“I’m really excited for the next four world cups and the season and I can’t wait.”
 
2015 Australian World Champion Laura Peel qualified for finals in third place, but unfortunately fell on her triple back somersault in the first round of finals, finishing in ninth place.

Also competing for Australian in her second World Cup was VIS athlete Gabi Ash, who finished in 20th position.
 
After three events, Laura Peel is currently ranked third in the world, with Willcox moving up to sixth on the FIS World Cup standings.
 
The next stop on the World Cup tour for the aerial skiing athletes will take place in Moscow, Russia, with a spectacular city event, with the aerial site made out of scaffolding and snow trucked in.

Australian aerial skier Laura Peel has claimed a bronze medal at the 2019/2020 World Cup season opener at Shimao Lotus Mountain in China.
 
The VIS athlete performed her first ever triple back somersaults in competition with great success, scoring 87.92 points in the first round of finals with a lay-tuck-full, and 86.65 in the medal round with a full-tuck-full.
 
In taking bronze, the performance marks the tenth World Cup podium of the 30 year old athletes career (2 gold, 3 silver, 5 bronze).
 
“It’s an amazing start to the season. Competing with triples at a World Cup was a big milestone of mine, and to come away with a podium makes it even sweeter.”
 
“The conditions were really good. We all took a couple of days to adjust to a much steeper landing hill than what we had been training on in Finland, but the sun was out and there was minimal wind which made conditions great for jumping.”
 
Peel finished narrowly behind Belarus aerialist Aliaksandra Ramanousk 93.44 and China’s Mengtao Xu scoring 105.53 with the judges.
 
For Peel there’s a busy season ahead after a short Christmas break.
 
“After tomorrow, I’m looking forward to enjoying some R&R over Christmas. Then my team start training again in Switzerland in January ahead of the next World Cup in Moscow, Russia.”

Also in action for Australia was Abbey Willcox, who finished in 14th place, just missing the 12 woman final.

A second World Cup event also took place at Shimao Lotus Mountain, with a one jump competition being held on day two, before a team World Cup event that Australia did not feature in.

Peel landed another triple back somersault, a lay-tuck-full, narrowly missing the podium by less than a point in fourth place.

Abbey Willcox had a personal best World Cup finish of 12th.

The next event for Australia's aerial skiing athletes will be in Moscow, Russia, on January 25.

Queensland will be home to the southern hemisphere’s first year-round freestyle ski-jumping facility to be built at the Sleeman Sports Complex at Chandler.

The $6.5 million International Freestyle Skiing Training Facility is a collaboration between the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA) the Federal Government through Sport Australia, the Queensland Government and the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).


The Queensland Government will provide the location adjacent to the Olympic sized swimming pool at Chandler, with total funding for the facility from the Federal Government and AOC.


The centre will host elite aerial and mogul skiers, athletes of all ages and abilities seeking to develop in these disciplines, and overseas sports tourists.


Queensland has a unique Winter Olympic heritage, with Brisbane’s Steven Bradbury famously claiming Australia’s first ever Winter Games gold at Salt Lake City in 2002. With aerial and mogul skiers providing eight of Australia’s 15 medals in Winter Olympics, including three gold, this facility will see Queensland as the development hub for future Olympic champions.


The project will be managed by the OWIA, who have been instrumental in securing this Australian-first facility. OWIA Chair Geoff Henke AO says the go-ahead is a tremendous boost for Winter Olympic sport in Australia.


“I am excited this facility will come to fruition and continue to develop Australian freestyle skiers of all ages and abilities.


“At the elite level this will eliminate a competitive disadvantage, allowing Australian athletes to train at home that provides a critical edge. It also provides a talent pathway to identify and develop talent from the grassroots up to ensure Winter Sports continue to grow.


“After working to develop this project for a long time, my heartfelt thanks go to the Federal Government and AOC for the funding, the Queensland Government who have provided a home for this world-class facility and the Australian institute of Sport for ongoing support in developing winter athletes.”


Federal Sports Minister Senator Bridget McKenzie says the Government’s $4.5 million contribution creates the opportunity for Australia to produce the next generation of Olympic champions to join the likes of Alisa Camplin, Dale Beg-Smith and Lydia Lassila.


“This facility will be a game-changer for Australian winter sport,” Minister McKenzie said. “Our Australian winter athletes have been so successful in freestyle skiing despite their training disadvantages, and they have inspired the next generation of participants in skiing – and hopefully producing more Olympic heroes.


“The Liberal and Nationals Government, along with peak sport agencies Sport Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport, are proud to support this project that will give future athletes a world-leading facility at home.”


Queensland Sports Minister Mick de Brenni MP says the water ramp is a perfect addition to the Sleeman Sports Centre which already provides a training base for community, emerging and elite athletes across a wide range of sports.


“Brisbane’s fantastic climate means this facility can be used year-round, making it the premier Winter Olympic training venue for the region and one of only two in the world available 12 months of the year,” he said.


“Not only will this cater for Australia’s Winter Olympic athletes, it will attract international teams to Queensland to train at this facility, ensuring year-round use and an additional revenue stream for the complex.”


AOC Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll says significant investment from the Federal Government, the Queensland Government’s contribution of the site and the AOC’s own financial contribution is a shot in the arm for aspiring athletes and future Winter Olympians.


“This project is a great example of a partnership between sport and government delivering positive outcomes,” Carroll said.


“Australian athletes have logged thousands of training days at overseas facilities in the past five years – this ramp means the country’s best talent can be identified, developed and reach their peak performance right here at home, inspiring countless Australians while being close to family and their community. This is time and funding that will be invested here in Australia rather than at overseas facilities.


“A series of different sized ramps will be available for a variety of standards. It will provide the opportunity for our athletes to train ahead of the next Winter Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022 and beyond.”


Five-time Olympian and aerials gold medallist Lydia Lassila was excited at the benefits the ramp, which will see athletes reach speeds of up to 70km/h and launch 17 metres in the air.


“This ramp will be incredible for winter sport in Australia,” Lassila said. “It means having more people participating in the sport, funding going to athlete development rather than travel costs and allowing athletes to spend more time in the country rather than 10 months a year overseas.


“Having that home base is so important – both for performance and to provide for a more balanced life close to your family and support group.


“This ramp will be the best in the world and showcase the spectacular feats of winter athletes – having Australian kids see Winter Olympians in action in the flesh will make it so much more tangible and help inspire our next generation.”

The Sleeman Sports Centre boasts an Olympic-sized pool, accommodation, gymnastic centre, fitness centre and athlete rehabilitation as well as the Anna Meares velodrome and BMX track, making it a hub for talent development and performance for current and future Olympians.


OWIA will work closely with Stadiums Queensland to manage the facility.


Colliers International is managing construction of the water ramp, with work expected to begin mid-2019, with practical completion due early 2020.
olympics.com.au

VIS Aerial Skier Laura Peel has won the second World Cup event of her career, after finishing on top in Shimao Lotus Mountain, China.

Her result was a well-deserved reward after a second place finish in Moscow just two weeks ago.

Peel qualified for the final in fourth place with a 84.42 point full-full jump, and used the same jump to progress to the top six super final.

In the super final, Peel stepped up her degree of difficulty, performing a 96.58 full-double full jump to easily take the victory, 14.8 points ahead of second place.

“I couldn’t be happier with how today went! We had some really tricky conditions with the temperature in double digits, and some swirling winds," Peel said of her second World Cup win.

"I'm very grateful to my coaches for getting my speed right on all my jumps and super stoked I was able to put all my jumps down.”

Peel placed 10th the following day during the second event, while teammate Abbey Willcox finished 15th in the first event and 14th in the second and first year VIC World Cup program athlete Brittany George placed 16th in the first and 13th in the second.

With China the final stop in the World Cup season, Peel has finished a personal best third in the world on the standings, improving on her previous best of fourth achieved in 2012 and 2013.

IMAGE - A happy Laura Peel with her gold medal in China © Laura Peel Instagram

olympics.com.au

VIS Aerial Skier Laura Peel has finished in 11th place at the World Cup event in Minsk, Belarus, maintaining her fourth place world ranking with one event left in the season.

The VIS skier made a strong start to the event, qualifying in second place for the final with a 88.20 full-full jump, but unfortunatley missed her landing in the final to finish in 11th place.

Peel said she was disappointed to not put down the jump she'd hoped for in the finals.

“I am a bit disappointed about the result. I jumped well in qualifications, but unfortunately had a bit of trouble landing in finals," she said.

Abbey Willcox recorded a personal best World Cup finish of 13th, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the 12-woman final after scoring 75.98 on her lay-full jump.

OWIA Apprentice Coach David Morris was satisfied with solid performances by the pair considering their preparation.

“Laura and Abbey both jumped very well given they had very little training leading into the competition day.

"As a coaching group we are very impressed they were able to perform so well after being sick leading into the event,” he said.

Also in Minsk, a syncro team event was held, with the team of Peel and Willcox finishing in third place after competing their lay-full jump at the same time off different jumps.

The Flying Kangaroos Australian Aerial Ski Team now head to China, for the final World Cup event of the year on March 2nd.

IMAGE - Laura Peel and Abbey Willcox (right) on the podum at the syncro team event in Minsk © Abbey Willcox Instagram

Dual-Olympian Laura Peel claimed silver at the Moscow Aerial Skiing World Cup over the weekend, with the 2015 World Champion now sitting third in the World Cup standings.
The VIS athlete qualified in first at the event, before taking out round one of finals with the highest scoring (97.99) double somersault of the competition.
In the second final, Peel performed a double full-full, giving her a score of 97.64 and earning her the silver medal behind the current World Champion Belarus' Aliaksandra Ramanouskya, at 105.93 with a double twisting triple somersault.
It's been a steady rise for the highest ranked Australian female PyeongChang 2018 Olympian, who recently was very unlucky to miss the podium in fourth place at the World Championships in Deer Valley.
After winning her first medal of the season, Peel told FIS TV she was thrilled with a memorable podium finish.
"I was really happy with my jumps today, I put down the best I could and came away with second place so I'm super happy to be on the podium," she said.
"Through each round I put down a really solid jump. I stuck to my plan and completed both my triple twisting doubles. It couldn't have gone better.
"It felt super-sweet after just missing that podium in Deer Valley last weekend," she finished.

After her medal, the 29-year-old posted on social media, "Happy. Proud. Grateful. Second place for me at this weekend’s World Cup! Thanks for the memories Moscow."

The Flying Kangaroos Australian Aerial Ski Team now head to Minsk, Belarus, for the next World Cup event on February 23.

IMAGES
Top -The spectacular jump site in Moscow
Bottom - Laura Peel (left) celebrates on the Moscow Podium
© FIS - Alexey Shabanov

olympics.com.au

The Flying Kangaroos Australian Aerial Ski Team has competed in a number of warm-up events in Lake Placid, NY, USA, ahead of the World Championships in Deer Valley, UT, USA, on February 6th.

With only the one World Cup prior to the World Championships, a strong field was in attendance with all countries looking to get extra competition starts before the main event of the season.

In Lake Placid, the team competed in the US National Championships and in the first of two Nor-Am events.

In the US National Championships, VIS athlete Laura Peel scored an 81.78 to take second place, with team-mates Abbey Willcox 11th and Brittany George 21st. In the men’s event, Wesley Naylor finished 25th.

Britt George and Abbey Willcox where the only Australians competing in the Nor-Am. VIS skier George secured her first career Continental Cup victory finishing in first place, and Wilcox just missed finals in seventh.

The Flying Kangaroos will now head to Utah, USA, to prepare for the World Championships.

IMAGE - Laura Peel (left) on the podium in Lake Placid © Winter Vinecki Instagram

The opening World Cup of the 2018-2019 season has taken place in Lake Placid, NY, USA, with Laura Peel the top Australian performer in tenth place.

The VIS skier made made a strong start qualifying in sixth place with an 81.27 point full-full jump.

In the twelve woman final, Peel attempted the higher degree of difficulty full - double full jump, electing to go for higher risk in preparation for the World Championships. Unfortunately Peel was deep on her landing, and just missed the super final to finish in tenth.

Also competing for Australia was Britt George in 20th with Gabi Ash and Abbey Willcox making their World Cup debut's to finish in 22nd and 23rd.

The next event for the Flying Kangaroos Australian Aerial Ski Team is the World Championships in Park City, UT, USA.
IMAGE - Laura Peel sending one high in the night sky at Lake Placid © OWIA/Lachy Keevers

VIS Aerial Skiers have been training in Utah, USA, since mid December. Five athletes in their first and second years with the program have enjoyed the excellent skiing conditions at Snowbasin resort with Coach Leigh Delahoy, between sessions on the jump hill at the Utah Olympic Park, (UOP). 

World Cup Aerial Skiing coach Manuela Muller, and athletes Britt George, Gabi Ash and Airleigh Frigo arrived in late December, for a training camp and Nor Am competition at the UOP before the opening World Cup event of the season in Lake Placid, USA, on January 19.   

Britt George and Gabi Ash will travel to Lake Placid early this week to join the rest of the Australian team, 2015 World Champion Laura Peel and Abbey Wilcox for next weekend’s competition in New York State, which will be the World Cup debut starts for Ash, George and Wilcox. 

IMAGE - VIS Aerial Skiers at Snowbasin, Utah, USA. From left to right: Isabel Cameron, Amanda Cordeiro, Mia Rennie, Eleanor Higginbotham and Leigh Delahoy

VIS Aerial Skiing athletes Brittany George and Gabrielle Ash just missed the podium on day two at the FIS Nor-Am events at the Utah Olympic Park in Utah, USA.
 
The event, held in challenging snowy and windy conditions, provided good experience as the two athletes prepare for the opening FIS Aerial Skiing World Cup of the season, scheduled in Lake Placid, USA, on Saturday January 19.
 
Also in action in her first ever competition, Airleigh Frigo finished in 13th place on day one and 11th on day two

The Flying Kangaroos Australian Aerial Ski Team took part in a warm up Europa Cup event in Ruka, Finland, over the weekend, with the highlight being two athletes achieving podium performances.
 
On day one, Abbey Willcox finished in second place, which was the best Europa Cup performance of her career.
 
On day two VIS athletes Laura Peel and Britt George recovered from a disappointing day one performances, with Peel taking the win, George in fifth place and Wilcox tenth.
 
The Flying Kangaroos will continue training in Ruka thought to Christmas, before resuming in North America in January for the first World Cup of the season in Lake Placid, USA, on January 19.

IMAGE: Laura Peel (left) and Abbey Willcox (right), podium athletes in Ruka

SnowSports ACT held their last official function with the ACT Awards Presentation on 2 November, recognising the achievements of snow sport athletes from the ACT.

It is chance to recognise the top athletes but also developing athletes too, through Perisher and Thredbo Scholarships and Sportsmanship Awards.

Thredbo Scholarships
Adam Hosie, Thredbo Snow Sports General Manager was present to award the 2019 Thredbo Scholarships. Thanks to Thredbo for their generous contribution of providing three scholarships in the form of 2019 Thredbo Season Passes to three very deserving junior athletes:

•     Emma Vizard
•     Amalie Leslie
•     Max Juric

They all showed a particularly high degree of commitment to their sport and the scholarships provides them with assistance to achieve their snowsports goals.

Perisher Scholarships
Richard Phillips, Perisher Sales and Marketing Manager was present to award the 2019 Perisher Scholarships. This is the fifth year that Perisher has offered ACT scholarships to up and coming junior athletes. The following junior athletes received funding for their 2019 Winter Sports Club Training program:

•     Bella Rotondo
•     Gus Young
•     Hugo Thompson
•     Ella Veleba
•     James Peake
•     Catherine Hardman
•     Kasey Kelley
•     Nellie Byron
•     Prases Satias

Each athlete has set goals to achieve their short and long term goals in their chosen snow sport.

Sportsmanship Awards

The following athletes were acknowledged for their diligence in their training and consistency in their competition results. These athletes having continually been developing their snow sports skills:

•     Catherine Hardman
•     Kasey Kelley
•     Nellie Byron
•     Prases Satias

ATHLETE AWARDS
Athlete of the Year - Laura Peel

Competing on the world stage at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, Laura placed fifth in the Women's Aerials final. In qualifications, Laura moved through to the final two and then progressed to the Super Final to head into the final six as the third ranked athlete. Peel attempted a Back Double Full-Full in the Super Final where she over-rotated and then back-slapped on her landing and placed fifth overall. Laura hit form at the perfect time ahead of the PyeongChang Olympics securing back-to-back bronze medals at the Lake Placid World Cup just weeks out from her second Olympics appearance.

Snowboarder of the Year - Amber Essex

Amber’s first year as a FIS Snowboarder saw a number of excellent results. Amber achieved sixth place in the Snowboard Cross at the ANC in Mt Hotham, third in the Thredbo Junior FIS race and a first place in the Snowboard Cross in division 1 at the Australian Interschools Championships.

Junior Snowboarder of the Year – Chelsee Kelley

Chelsee continued to achieve strong results in 2018, starting with a third in the Snowboard Cross at the US Nationals. Locally this season, Chelsee was first in the Slopestyle and Halfpipe and second in the Snowboard Cross at the Australian Junior Freeride Championships. She was first in the slopestyle at the Thredbo Snow Series and first in the Perisher Parks Showdown. Chelsee is also an SSA Emerging Talent Park and Pipe Scholarship holder.

Junior Freestyle Athlete of the Year - Lily Veleba

Lily has had an excellent season with continued strong results. Lily was third in the Moguls at the Australian Interschools Championships and fifth in the ABOM 14-19yo category. Lily is also an SSA Emerging Talent Moguls Scholarship holder.

Cross Country Skier of the Year - Seve de Campo

Seve moved to Canberra for university this year and has been awarded an ACTAS Scholarship. Seve has been named on the Australian U23 Team and has qualified for both the U23 and Open World Championships for 2019 from his results this season, which includes a third place in the Australian 10km Championships.

Junior Cross Country Skier of the Year – Tuva Bygrave and Heli Laajoki

Tuva has qualified for the Australian Junior Team from her results this season, including a second and third at the Australian Championships in U18 and second in the 21km event of the Kangaroo Hoppet.

Heli Laajoki won both the Australian Junior Champs Sprint and Distance events in U14. Heli was third at the Australian Interschools Championships.

Cross Country Achievement Awards – Bentley Walker Broose and Archie Gordon

Both athletes have qualified for the Australian Junior Team.

Bentley was first in the Australian Championships in the U18 7.5km and second in the sprint, along with many other podium places including first in the NSW Junior Sprints and third at the Australian Interschools Champs.

Archie was third at the Australian Junior Championships in the open sprint.

Alpine Skier of the Year – Isabella Davis

Izzy competed as a first year FIS athlete and completed every FIS race she entered. She raced in the Australian National Championships, where her best result was a fourth in Slalom and fifth in GS. She competed in the Australian New Zealand Cup with a top 15 result. Izzy is named on the NSWACT FIS Junior Team. Earlier in the season, Izzy was first in the Redlands Cup Diviion 2 and Overall Fastest Girl. Izzy was also first at the Australian Interschools Championships in Division 2.

Junior Alpine Skier of the Year – Jacqueline Davis

Jacqueline had excellent results at the SSA Children’s Carnival with an overall third in U16. Her results included a second in SL, third in SL and a third in GS. Jacqueline has been Awarded overall third in NSWACT Alpine and is a member of the U16 NSWACT Alpine Team. Jacqueline was first at the Australian Interschools Championships in Division 3 and third in Skier X.

Alpine Achievement Award – Michael Ouvrier and Abbey Davis

Michael has shown huge improvement this year. His results include overall third U14 Boy in the SSA Children’s Carnival. At the ACT Southern  NSW Interschools Div 3 he was: first in Alpine and second in Ski X. Michael has been awarded overall second U14 by NSWACT Alpine and named on the NSWACT Alpine Team

Abbey has had an excellent year. Her results at the SSA Children’s Carnival finishing overall second in U14 Girls with a first in GS in race 1, second in GS race 2, and second in SL. She has also been awarded the overall second in U14 by NSWACT Alpine. Her Interschools results include a fourth at National Interschools and a third in Alpine Division 3 in ACT NSW Interschools. Abbey has also been named to the NSW ACT Alpine Team.

Interschools Achievement Award – Charlotte Williams

Charlotte should be commended for her improvement this season as she placed third in the Alpine and Skier at the ACT-Southern NSW Interschools Championships and then went on to place first in the Alpine and second in the Skier Cross at the Australian Interschools Championships. Charlotte was also first in the ACT Schools Cup.
School of the Year – Canberra Grammar Junior School

After receiving the SSA School of the Year Award in May, CGS went on to enter the highest number of entries from an ACT school into the Act-Southern NSW Interschools Championships. At this event, CGS won 16 team medals and 13 individual medals. At the Australian Interschools Chamionships, CGS placed 2nd in the overall co-ed primary school point score.

Volunteer of the Year – Murray Johnson

Murray has been supporting the CGS snowsports program and the Interschool events over several years. Murray has volunteered during the pre-season for the Snowsports ACT Snowfit to cover sessions to support the coaches. In season, Murray provides support to the XC and Alpine races. He is a keen supporter of the XC Interschools and Biathlon and he has been a team manager, BBQ volunteer and guardian of children so that they can participate in the races. He is the rock of bib administration at Nationals and he supports all athletes with their on-snow needs across the Alpine disciplines.

Coach of the Year - Leanne Laajoki

Leanne coordinated the ACT Cross Country Junior Program throughout the year. She coached the program during training sessions on a voluntary basis, including both rollerski sessions and cross-discipline strength training together with Stella. She initiated and coordinated a trial of AIS Basecamp throughout term two, designing the sessions and assessing components of postural strength. In addition, she took over as Chair of the SSA XC Sport Development sub-committee, and among other projects is coordinating a review of the national race calendar from the perspective of athlete development.

Credit: NSW & ACT Snowsports

ustralian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman reflects on the Australian PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games team.

We finish these Games in an exciting place for the future. This is the best performed Australian team at an OWG by many measures.

We didn’t produce gold that’s true, but if you look a little closer you’ll see why I am so pleased with our results at these Games.

We’ve matched the number of medals previously won, but demonstrated a depth of elite results that we have not seen before. We have for the first time 3 new medal winners at one Games.

We have more top six results than ever before – seven - all who made finals. Our medallists are 22, 23 and 23 – and we can expect all to be back in Beijing in 2022.

We had more opportunities than ever before, and I think that depth is the biggest change in the last four years.
The overall results demonstrate the program success we are having in moguls, SBX and HP.

Not only did Matt Graham win silver, we saw Jakara Anthony, just 19, finish 4th and Britt Cox 5th.

Matt was beaten by the greatest mogul skier of all time in Mikal Kingsbury.

In the top six in men and women for moguls, Australia had three athletes. Canada had four and no other country had more than one. We also had a 14 and a 20th.

So it was a highly successful moguls group with so much promise for the future.

Our snowboard cross athletes performed superbly. Three men in one semi final, two in the final, a result of 2nd, 6th and 10th, indicates that this program works.

I particularly congratulate Jarryd and I’m delighted that he will carry the flag for Australia into the Closing Ceremony.

Half pipe also produced two top ten results including the medal for Scotty James. The men’s final was one of the feature events at the Games. In the end Scotty couldn’t beat the greatest of all time in Shaun White, but demonstrated that he is a prodigious talent with an incredible future ahead.

Laura Peel was top five in woman’s aerials and Sami Kennedy Sim’s eighth was a strong result for the Ski Cross team, and could have easily been even better.

Greta Small had the best Alpine result ever by an Australian woman, our cross country had best ever results including a 12 from 21 result in the teams event. Our sliding sports – Luge, Skeleton and Bob – all did us proud.

Our figure skaters inspired us and looked completely at home on the Olympic stage. Harley Windsor created history by becoming our first indigenous Winter Olympian.

Our ice racers gave their all and kept the dream of Olympic representation alive for their sports.

I would also like to record my thanks to one athlete, Lydia Lassila, for her outstanding career over five Olympic Games and for the legacy that she leaves.

Injuries took their toll.

Tess Coady’s unfortunate end remains the low point of the Games for me. An immensely talented 17 year-old was denied her chance to perform in events that were dominated by teenagers. Who knows what might have been.
Russ Henshaw, Brodie Summer and Belle Brockhoff were all handicapped by pre-Games issues, as was Jess Rich, who still managed to finish just one spot out of the finals in Big Air.

Our aerial skiers, so long the back bone of our team at the Winters, missed out on a medal for the first time since 2002. Laura Peel made the final to finish a highly credible 5th. Thanks to Dave Morris for another stellar performance, unlucky to miss progressing through the finals but clearly establishing himself as a champion athlete and a champion person.

The rest of the world is catching up, has caught up, demonstrating the need for our own water ramp facility.

Our athletes are committed and excellent but we are struggling to provide an environment that matches those of their rivals.

Simply, we need a water ramp training venue. Not only will a water ramp be great for our athletes it will bring a major economic boost to the host region with our athletes and international teams visiting to train.

Building a half pipe is also essential and I thank the Federal Government and Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie, for their on-going commitment to these projects. Both are crying out for a home.

The performances both on and off the field of play has been exceptional.

Our team has been thrilled with the support they have received from home. It seems our sports and our athletes have captured the interest and hearts of Australians as never before. The decency of our athletes has been on show for all to see.

I thank all the media here and at home who have embraced our team and shared our stories. Every time an athlete has gone out to compete here in PyeongChang, the Aussie spirit of giving it a go has shone through, and you have provided a platform for our athletes to inspire many at home.

PyeongChang must be congratulated for putting on a wonderful Olympic Winter Games. Everything worked, the Koreans were so friendly and helpful, and the venues were superb.

I thank the AOC staff and team staff who have worked so hard to plan and operate this team.

Let me conclude by saying that I’ve been with our winter team since in Lillehammer in 1994, and it is the best team I have ever been involved in.

Ian Chesterman

David Morris has finished 10th in the men’s aerials final at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games and has “ticked a lot of boxes” in this Olympic campaign.

Morris, 33, did not progress to the second round of the final after scoring 111.95 for his back full – double full – full, putting him in tenth place. Only the top nine progressed to Final 2.

Morris was pleased with the jump he put down but the field produced high scoring jumps. The leader, Guangpu Qi of China was awarded 127.44 for his execution of the same trick.

“We tried our best, it is what it is. Tenth is a pretty sweet result and I’m happy with that,” Morris said.

“We’re in an Olympic final so that’s awesome and this competition is top class so even to be here is quite the privilege.”

Despite a deep landing, Morris was in contention to progress until the final competitor, America’s Jonathon Lillis, completed his jump and slotted into seventh place.

Tenth starter Zongyang Jia had a stumble at the tail end of his landing but still managed to scrape in above Morris.
Morris said his coach Jeff Bean spoke to the judges at the conclusion of the round for clarification.

“They said they’ve given (Jia) four metres of controlled skiing which is what you need after landing so… they discounted the last part because it’s not part of the jump so unfortunately we can’t really argue against that,” he said.

“That’s the rules, that’s fine. I’d love it if it was 10 metres or 20, or you had to ski out of the whole zone, but that’s not how it goes.

“(Judges) see it once in fast motion and have to make a very quick decision and it’s their decision and I’m fine with that.”
Ukrainian athlete Oleksandr Abramenko claimed gold with a score of 128.51 for a back full – full – double full, followed by Jia (CHN) winning silver and Ilia Burov (Olympic Athletes of Russia) finishing with bronze.

Morris made it into the final after succeeding in Saturday’s repechage round, where he finished second in the round.

The Sochi silver medalist was determined to perform a high difficulty five-twist jump he has recently mastered at the Olympic final, but was saving it for the Super Final of six from which the medal winners would be decided.

“I was just building up to it, we have a certain step process that we have to get to that skill.

“It was a little disappointing I didn’t get to do that in the comp, but as a career goal I wanted to do that on snow and land it and today I did that… so I’m very happy with that, that’s a big box ticked for me.

“I can walk out of here really proud of this year.”

Morris said that after Sochi Olympics in 2014 when he won silver, he was unsure whether he would continue with his sporting career.

However, this PyeongChang campaign had dispelled any doubt by allowing him to achieve new goals.

“Coming back I was wondering whether it was worth it after Sochi and the first two comps back I was second and third and I was number one in the world, and the next year was a world championship medal which I hadn’t got (before),” he said.

“Then this year I got three flips and five twists so progressively I got better and better so I’m really happy with my career as a whole and (now I will) take a bit of time off and reconsider what I want after that.”

Morris has shown great courage through adversity in recent times, with his mother being diagnosed with cancer just weeks prior to the PyeongChang Games.

However, Morris said his family agreed that the Olympics were his focus and that he should pursue his professional goals before returning home to Melbourne to be with his loved ones.

“The support I’ve had my whole career is fantastic so my message for mum is I’m safe, I’m healthy, I’m in one piece, I’m alive, I’ll come back and we can deal with everything as a family.”

Next, Morris will take time out at home to focus on personal matters before considering his next professional move.
However, he already has one eye on the future – just not his own, so to speak.

“I’m going to try to look into a bit of coaching, we have some development athletes at home that are in drastic need of some good coaching,” he said.

“I’ve been chatting to them helping them out a bit so it would be nice to get them on the right path and see how far that goes.

“I promise nothing, I’m happy at this point, I’ve ticked a lot of boxes in my career, but I enjoyed it so much that to come back in an environment like this would be amazing.

“It’s hard to leave this environment, like Lydia (Lassila) said this is what we’re used to we love this stuff.”

Candice Keller

Sochi silver medalist David Morris has qualified for the men’s aerials final at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.

Morris scored 124.89 for his second jump of the night, putting him into second place (of qualification 2) with four athletes still to complete their run and guaranteeing his final berth.
He already has eyes on Sunday night’s final and plans to deliver the high difficulty five-twist jump he has proudly mastered in a recent training camp in Ruka, Finland on the world stage.
“I’ve basically come here to do five twists and that’s my goal,” Morris said.
“I’m not after a medal as such and I know some people won’t like to hear that but five twists – a landed one – will get a medal.”
The trick, a double full - double full - full – best described as three flips and five twists – has only ever been performed by three other athletes with Morris eager to be the fourth.
“I’m here to perform that in front of a crowd, I’m going to hopefully get one done in practice … and hopefully make it through all the rounds and showcase it at the end and that will be awesome”
To ensure he can achieve that, Morris already has a plan underway.
“Recovery is key in this sport. If I can come out (in the final) fresher than everyone else out here because they didn’t recover properly or they were a bit more tired, that gives me a big advantage and just to be fresh in the brain, fresh in the body and come out and just get sendy again.”
Morris was thrilled with his execution of the back double full – full – full (a quad-twisting triple somersault) celebrating after completing the jump.
“(The jump) had to be big and straight and it was. We stepped up and went huge because there was no option to go small and sneak in with little mistakes,” he said.
“It was a huge relief to make it through qualifications, it’s the worst part of the competition.”
After finishing 15th in the first round of qualifying, the 2017 World Championship bronze medallist needed to produce an outstanding second jump in the repechage.
Starting 15th in a round of 19 athletes, Morris had seen the impressive scores of the rest of the field ahead of him, but managed to remain calm and focused on the task at hand.
“I will be honest, I was watching the scores in the second one and I was honestly thinking that I didn’t have a chance,” he said.
“Because they’re fantastic jumps and that’s great and if I lost to fantastic jumps like that, I’d be totally fine with that.”
In the first round Morris, 33, performed a back full – double full – full and was awarded a score of 112.83.
However, in the high scoring qualifier it was not enough to secure him automatic entry to Sunday night’s final with only the top six progressing after one jump.
Leading round one of qualifiers was American Jonathon Lillis (127.44) and China’s Guangpu Qi (126.70) and Zongyan Jia (126.55).
In an upset, Belarusian Anton Kushnir – who is currently ranked third in the World Cup series – did not qualify for the final, finishing in 13th place overall.
The men’s aerials final will be held on Day 9 (February 18) at 8pm local time (10pm AEST).
Candice Keller
olympics.com.au

Laura Peel has just missed out securing a fourth PyeongChang medal to Australia's tally after finishing fifth in the women’s aerials.

Peel attempted a Back Double Full-Full in the Super Final where she over-rotated and then back-slapped on her landing scoring 55.34.

Hanna Huskova of Belarus took the gold medal with a score of 96.14, ahead of Chinese duo Xin Zhang (95.52) and Fanyu Kong (70.41).

“My goal was to make the top six, the Super Final, and I did that,” Peel said.

“We did our best out there. I had a huge group of supporters in the crowd so I was definitely feeling the love. 

In difficult conditions the 2015 World Champion had trouble picking the wind all night.

“I was a bit slow on the first two jumps, I just squeaked out the second jump which I might not have done if I wasn’t in an Olympic Final.

“I took a step up to get a bit quicker for the final jump and got an extra 4km when we were hoping for 1.5km.
“I did what I could.”

Earlier, the dual Olympian moved through to Final 2 with a score of 85.05 for her Back Full-Full.

She then progressed to the Super Final with a Back Full Double-Full that scored 85.65 to head into the final six as the third ranked athlete.

Teammate Danielle Scott, needing to be in the top nine to progress from Final 1 to Final 2, backslapped while attempting a Back Full-Full.

The 2017 World Championship silver medallist scored 57.01 to finish the competition in 12th.

The duo had progressed through yesterday’s qualifications to make the final 12, while five-time Olympian Lydia Lassila and Samantha Wells missed the Finals finishing 14th and 17th.

Australia had won an aerials medal at each of the past four Winter Olympic Games with Alisa Camplin winning gold and bronze in 2002 and 2006, and Lydia Lassila winning gold and bronze in 2010 and 2014.

Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au

It might not have been the result she wanted to finish on but Lydia Lassila’s illustrious career simply won’t be judged on her final jumps at PyeongChang.

The 36-year-old has achieved it all over the past two decades and despite the initial disappointment of just missing tonight’s aerials finals, there is no doubt her legacy will live on in Australian sporting history.

“I really wanted to be in the final tonight and really should have been in the final but that is the nature of the beast,” said the inspirational mother-of-two.

“For me my story is over and that’s ok, I’m alright with that.

“I’m leaving this sport knowing who I am - a very strong independent individual that can get through any storm and on reflection it’s been wonderful.

“I’ve brought my family along for the ride which hasn’t been easy but we’ve benefited and had some wins from this process.” 

Lassila became the first women to compete in five Olympic Games in PyeongChang where she ended the competition in 14th.

The result followed two Winter Olympic Games where she claimed medals, becoming Olympic Champion in 2010 before she won bronze at Sochi 2014.

It was at her fourth Games where her determination to return from injury and eventually become the first woman to complete a quad-twisting triple somersault that continued to prove why she is an all-time legend.

“I’ve learnt how to be patient and it took me a long time to understand the concept of delayed gratification, of working hard for something to hope that it will pay off in the end.

“It certainly paid off in Vancouver and in Sochi and I was true to my word.

“That 19-year-old (that competed in 2002) hasn’t changed much in her will, determination and competitive drive she’s just learnt life lessons.”

Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission, Ian Chesterman, was clearly emotional as he sat alongside Lassila to offer his thoughts on one the favourite athletes he has led over the past five Games.

“I want to emphasise the great legacy Lydia leaves," he said.

Olympic Winter Institute of Australia CEO Geoff Lipshut was equally high in his praise of Lassila.

“Lydia is the last of our all-time greats that is active,” Lipshut said.

“Alisa (Camplin), Dale (Begg-Smith), Torah (Bright) and Lydia. It’s been an absolute privilege.”

It will no doubt be hard for one of the nation’s most dogged competitors to watch from the sidelines but Lassila will be out cheering on both Laura Peel and Danielle Scott in the Aerials finals tonight.

“We’ve got two girls in the final and we’ve got to be happy for that.

“It’s important for us and important for them as they’ve worked very hard for that.”


Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au

With Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 already under his belt, David Morris is ready to soar to new heights at his third Olympic Games at PyeongChang.

While the 33-year-old Sochi silver medallist undoubtedly feels the pressure ahead of Saturday’s qualifications, Morris said he’s taking the time to smell the roses.

“I’d never thought I’d make one [Olympics],” he said.

“I’m just out there having a good time. At the end of the day it’s still a win but to walk away with a medal would be fantastic.”

While the lead up to the first day of competition has been “less than ideal” as the Victorian adjusts to a new site and unpredictable winds, Morris says he just needs to “switch on a little bit more” and that all will be well.

“It’s challenging and it’s not insane,” he said.

“It’s a little bit of windy here but it keeps changing directions … [it’s] really hard for the coaches and athletes to adjust.

“We need very specific speeds and it makes it very challenging to do a nice jump when you have no idea what speed you’re going to hit the jump pad.”

If there’s one thing the aerial skier is looking forward to most about competing this week, it’s having the opportunity to showcase his skills in front of the world.

“I love big crowds, they get me going,” he said.

“I tend to pay more attention when people turn up, I like to show off.

“Being the third time around, there’s a lot more experience coming in and a little bit more pressure because I’ve done it once on a good day and they expect me to repeat it.

“I’m just enjoying myself because it’s a pretty awesome venue. I’m soaking it up, I want to remember being here and what it was like.”

While there might be the occasional bumpy landing, Morris is keen to assure those watching that it’s never as bad as it looks.

“We have a big chopped up landing hill, it’s quite steep so we don’t hit it flat,” he said.

“It can hurt but that’s the reason we are in the gym working out all the time. Our gym work isn’t so that we can do the skills, we go in to get strong so that when we mess up we can stand again.

“If you’re not strong enough to take the hit they [coaches] won’t send you off.”

Though the conditions have prevented Morris testing his five-twists, three-flips jump on the site he said he’s ready to pull it off should he make Sunday’s top six final.

Men’s aerials qualifications kick off on Saturday 17th February with finals on Sunday.

David Barden
olympics.com.au

Sochi Olympians Danielle Scott and Laura Peel have qualified for the women's Aerials finals on Friday night after a nail biting evening at Phoenix Snow Park. 

The first of the Aussies to hit the course, Scott progressed straight through to the finals after scoring 93.76 in her first qualification run. 

With Peel, dual Olympian Sam Wells and five-time Olympian Lydia Lassila finishing outside of the top 6 in teir first attempts, it all came down to the second qualification run to see which of the Aussie women would join Scott in the finals. 

After scoring 64.86 in her first run, 28-year-old Peel scored 89.46 in Run 2 and secured herself a spot in Friday's finals after finishing in third place. 

“I made a mistake on the first run today so hopefully thats out of the system," Peel said.

“You’re trying to think like it’s not the Olympics, its just any day and you’re trying to nail that jump.

"I feel confident that I still have good jumps [in the bag] and I just need to put them down tomorrow."

Making her fifth and final Olympic appearance, a crash by Vancouver 2010 bronze medallist Lassila saw her score 66.27 and finish in 14th place. 

"This is an outside sport and you can't control a lot of things and tonight I just couldn't control the speed," she said.
With an Olympic career spanning nearly two decades, Lassila said she was disappointed with her final Winter Games performance.

"It's a feeling of loss in a way ... you've lost an opportunity but that's sport and you've got to reflect on the good and happy moments that I've had with my kids, my family, my friends -- life is good," she said.

"Five olympics, I never thought I'd go to five, never win a a gold.

"I love this ... I'll miss it."

The 37-year-old added that while she was "bummed" about Thursday's result, she was incredibly proud of herself and happy to finish her World Cup career prior to PyeongChang with a gold and bronze in Lake Placid, USA.

"It's been a wild ride to bring the boys along and have them at training camps and just prove that you can do it as a mother ... you can do it all," she said.

"I'm really proud of that campaign that I could manage to do that, it's not easy. It's not easy for an athlete that's 17-years-old with no responsibilities but for a 36-year-old with real-life responsibilities, it's a challenge to make sure that no-one is missing out on anything, that everyone has got their needs met, not just myself."

Teammate Laura Peel said that Lassila was an "incredible woman" who has "done so much" for Aerial Skiing in Australia.

Wells finished in 17th place with a score of 58.27. 

David Barden
olympics.com.au