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

FREESTYLE SKIING: Nothing can stop Australia’s freestyle aerial skiers from throwing their biggest tricks at PyeongChang 2018. Not weather, not pressure, and not fear.

After landing in South Korea on Tuesday, the team – made up of veteran Lydia Lassila, David Morris, Laura Peel, Samantha Wells and Danielle Scott – are excited about the week of competition ahead.

An intensive training camp in Ruka, Finland, over the past several weeks has put the squad in a strong position to compete for places in the Super 6 final, and even an Olympic medal.

David Morris, who will make his third Olympic appearance in PyeongChang, completed one of the most difficult tricks in freestyle aerial skiing just last week and he won’t be holding back from throwing it again in PyeongChang.

“It’s a medal winning jump, obviously landing is crucial but if I get into the top 6 there’s no way I’m not doing that skill,” Morris said.

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.

It’s with a sense of relief and accomplishment that Morris wants everyone to know he’s ‘peaking at the right time’, he’s ready to land the hardest skill he’s ever done and in reality, it was pretty easy.

“I’ve been ready for quite a while, I just had to man up and do it and it was easier than I thought it would be, but very very scary,” he said.

“I haven’t come all (that) way to just back down at the last minute. I think even if the weather’s not perfect, I’m still throwing that down.

“My coach is like ‘if there’s an opportunity to change it to an easier one maybe we’ll go easier’, I’m like ‘no’.

“I don’t feel like it’s dangerous to do anymore… if I’m in the super final obviously you’ve been landing and you’re on fire and there isn’t any reason why we wouldn’t do it after that so I wouldn’t have any hesitation.”

Morris’ courage and commitment is shared by the team, who come into PyeongChang with varied experience.

Peel made her Olympic debut at Sochi 2014 where she finished seventh, and since then has consolidated her performance.

“I still have the same basic self, same foundation (and) still the same beliefs but I feel a lot more prepared, a lot more confident, I’m more consistent with my tricks and there are a lot of similarities of course but now I feel more prepared and more myself and ready to go after it, “she said.

Teammate Scott is primed to perform a quadruple-twisting double somersault; she is the first Australian woman to complete the trick on snow.

“If I get to the round where I need it (I’ll do it) for sure,” she said.

“I think I was the first Aussie to do it on snow, but both Lydia and I have done it recently so it’s pretty exciting… I’ll definitely take advantage of being able to do that if I get the opportunity to.”

For Lassila, her tactics are a little different. She has four Winter Olympic Games on her CV already and after Sochi 2014 she even took a break from the sport.

However her passion and motivation for aerials didn’t weaken, nor did her body. And so she decided to line up again, putting herself in contention for a place on the Australian Olympic Team.

The dual Olympic medallist (gold Vancouver 2010, bronze Sochi 2014) recently claimed a first and a second place at Lake Placid World Cups in the United States, but she’s approaching things a little differently in her final Olympic campaign.

“Some athletes will go big which is really exciting, but it won’t be me. I’m kind of weening out so I’m on the double, which is a lot less stressful on my body and mind,” she said.

“(I’m) still competitive on the double… I’ve got some consistency there, I’ve got some experience there obviously.

“Anyone can make a mistake so my aim is to just keep consistent and not make any big mistakes.”

Second timer Wells said the secret to Australian freestyle skiers keeping their calm under pressure was nothing more than good old fashioned banter.

“It helps to keep it a bit lighter when things get a bit more stressful,” she said.

And in the end, it could come down to the conditions on the day. Morris has said he won’t be swayed by the weather, but for the majority of the field PyeongChang could prove to be one of the toughest challenges yet.

“Weather and wind is obviously a factor that this place is known for, and that does effect us so fingers crossed mother nature cooperates with us and I think it will be really good,” Scott said.

Freestyle skiing aerials starts with women’s qualifications on Day 6 (Thursday 15 February) with women’s finals on Day 7 (Friday 16 February) and men’s finals on Day 9 (Sunday 18 February).

Candice Keller

As an underdog at the Sochi 2014 Games he put landed a series of jumps that saw him claim Australia’s first men’s aerials medal, a silver, in Olympic competition.
Then after a poor 2016/17 World Cup season by his own high standards, Morris put it together when he needed to, to claim World Championships bronze.
Now just a fortnight out from competing in his third Olympic Games he has landed the hardest jump there is in the book.
Comprising of three flips and five twists, Morris successfully landed the jump at the Australian aerials team’s pre-Olympic training camp in Ruka, Finland.
Morris had been successfully practicing the jump off the water ramps in Utah but was waiting for the right conditions to try it on snow.
“Unleashing the secret weapon before the main event,” Morris said on his Instagram.
“Today the weather was perfect so I decided to go for it."
“It’s a career first, an Australian first, and the reason I returned to the sport.
“I’ll give myself the benefit of not being perfect straight away and I know I can make this a lot better.”
Now the focus turns to doing it in his next competition – the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Morris competes in qualification on Day 8 (February 17) before finals take place the following night. 
Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au

The athlete selected to carry the nation’s flag at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games Opening Ceremony will make their team and country proud, the Chef de Mission says.

Ian Chesterman, six-time Winter Olympic Chef de Mission for the Australian team, said that the country’s field of 51 athletes had presented several strong contenders for flagbearer who athletes and supporters would endorse.

“I think the important thing is… when we announce the flagbearer is that it will resonate strongly with the Australian Team and that it will resonate strongly with the Australian public,” Chesterman said.

 “That’s in a large part because Australian winter sport athletes have been doing so well around the world and I’m lucky to have a number of athletes to choose from to carry the flag.

“I’ve been lucky enough to choose six flagbearers and you always have to work out… who would like to do it and who you think would be good to do it for them for their own performance.”

Although freestyle aerial skier and five-time Olympian Lydia Lassila declined the opportunity to be the Australian flagbearer for PyeongChang 2018, Chesterman said her role within the team was not diminished.

“Lydia was obviously a standout candidate to carry the flag; she’s a five-time Olympian, she’s a gold medallist, a bronze medallist and a legend of the sport – of aerial skiing and winter sports overall.

“We understand that the most important thing for an athlete is to produce the best result that they want, that they’ve worked so hard for four years and in Lydia’s case, nearly 20 years as an elite athlete.

“So (we are) totally supportive of her decision to focus on her commitment to be the best that she can be on her day but I also know that Lydia will play a great role within the Australian Team anyway because she’s a great Team member, has been over the last four Games and I’m very confident that she will be again these games in PyeongChang.”

Lassila, 36, is still a chance to carry the flag at the Closing Ceremony, as she did in Sochi 2014.

Chesterman hoped it would be another tough choice for team officials courtesy of a strong performance by the Team overall.

“The Closing Ceremony traditionally goes to the person that had a great result at the Games so I’d love Lydia Lassila to be in that situation - wouldn’t that be a fitting finale for her to carry that flag?

“But there’s a lot of water to flow under the bridge between now and then and I hope I have a number of candidates to choose from when I have to decide who carries the flag at the Closing Ceremony.”

Chesterman said the Australian athletes were settling in to PyeongChang smoothly, and many were excited by the snowfall early on Saturday morning.

“We’ve gradually got athletes arriving, those of us who have been here for a while are enjoying the Village, it’s a very good setup.

“I was down at the Coastal Village yesterday and that’s a really magnificent set up for those athletes. It’s a comfortable environment, the Koreans are doing a great job in welcoming us and everyone’s feeling like they’re part of winter today with a little bit of snow falling.”

Candice Keller
olympics.com.au

AERIALS: Australia’s aerial skiers will look to build on their rich tradition of Winter Olympic success when a team of five high flyers hit the jumps at the PyeongChang 2018 Games.


The team features a full contingent of Aussie women with dual Olympic medallist Lydia Lassila lining up at her fifth Winter Olympic Games alongside 2017 World Championship silver medallist Danielle Scott, 2015 World Champion Laura Peel and Sochi 2014 Olympian Samantha Wells.

Sochi 2014 silver medallist and 2017 World Championship bronze medallist David Morris will fly the flag in the men’s competition.

While the accolades for each member of this team are exceptional there is none more astounding than those of 2010 Olympic Champion and 2014 Olympic bronze medallist Lassila.

With so much adversity throughout her career it is astonishing to think she has made it to the start line of her fifth straight Olympic Games, let alone be well in contention to win an Australian record third Winter Olympic medal at PyeongChang.

“I never dreamed of going to 5 Olympics or having a career this long,” said Lassila who claimed a gold and silver medal at back-to-back World Cup events in Lake Placid last weekend.

“I’ve learned so much about myself, endured set backs and celebrated the victories.

“I love my sport, I love my country and that’s what has kept me coming back.”

The team has been in strong form throughout the season with Peel also claiming dual bronze medals in Lake Placid and Scott winning World Cup gold in China. The trio of Scott, Wells and Morris then linked up to win silver in the non-Olympic team event in Secret Garden.

“I competed all the jumps that I will be competing in PyeongChang in Lake Placid so doing that and finishing on the podium definitely gives me a confidence boost,” Peel said.

“However I know every day is a new day and everyone will be bringing their A game to the Olympics so right now it’s about getting back to work and building consistency.

“It’s just as exciting to be selected the second time around. I know more what to expect this time amd I think that experience will help me to really focus on the task at hand.

“I’m also looking forward to cheering on all the other Aussies.”

The team trains and lives with each other throughout the year and puts a lot of their success down to the combination of strong team camaraderie and the ability to push one another to new heights.

“We're all pretty chilled here in Finland at the moment in a last training camp before heading to PyeongChang,” Morris said.

“Everyone is up to standard and really jumping quite well. We were all lucky enough to basically qualify our spots last year so it hasn't been a stressful season for us, just making sure we stay healthy and have enough energy to peak at the big event.”

Having secured a medal at his second Games, Morris is now looking to pull out all the stops and perform a jump he has never tried on snow to climb one step higher on the Olympic podium.

“So far we haven't had enough time to practice my quintuple-twisting triple-flip,” he said.

“It's on my bucket list as something I need to do in the sport so the plan will be to perform it in this training camp, and then hopefully get the opportunity to show it off at the Games.

“If I make the super final (last round) that'll mean I'm having a pretty epic day and landing so by that point I'll be confident to perform it in competition for the first time and compete for a medal.”

Just like Morris, Scott too has the jumps she needs to lift her too Olympic glory. The 27-year-old claimed her best result to date at the 2017 World Championships and will be hoping that the experience from her first Games will help her lift at PyeongChang.

“It feels pretty cool knowing that this will be round two of flying the green and gold in the Olympic arena,” Scott said.

“Winning a medal at the World Champs has given confidence as it is the same format as the Olympics.

“Confidence is everything but so is being prepared and being able to handle the different conditions at each site so I hope to go out and put all my preparations to work.”

Wells will also be looking to take her Games experience, as well as some solid form that includes two top six World Cup results this season, onto the Korean slopes as she aims to better her 18th place finish in Sochi.

“Leading into my second Games, I’m feeling much better prepared and I am bringing with me an arsenal of competitive jumps,” she said.

“I’m excited to share this Olympic experience with my coach, and support staff, as well as some of my family, who will be coming to watch.”

Aerials skiing will kick off on with the women's qualification on Day 6 (February 15) followed by the finals on Day 7 (February 16). The men's competition then runs across Day 8 and 9 (February 17-18). 

The discipline of Freestyle Skiing is Australia’s most successful Winter Olympic event with Alisa Camplin’s two medals (2002 – gold, 2006 – bronze), Lassila’s two (2010 – gold, 2014 – bronze) and Morris’ Sochi 2014 silver accounting for half of the nation’s Winter medal haul.   
​

Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au

Last weekends Aerial Skiing events in Lake Placid. NY, USA, marked the almost perfect end of an amazing World Cup career for Lydia Lassila.

Lassila's incredible World Cup career spanned over 17 years, with her first World Cup start coming at Mt Buller in September 2001.

With the two medals on the weekend, Lassila's brings her total career World Cup tally to 39, which includes 16 total victories.

Lassila is undoubtedly one of Australia's sporting greats and well in the conversation as Australia’s greatest ever wintersports athlete.  After her final event on Saturday night, Lassila sits equal second for the most World Cup medals ever won by an Australian, but is the only Australian to have better than a 50% lifetime conversion of World Cup starts to podiums.

Top-5 Australian World Cup medal winners

Kirstie Marshall (Aerial Skiing) - 41 World Cup medals (17 wins & 1 WC Globe from 93 starts)
Jacqui Cooper (Aerial Skiing) - 40 World Cup medals (24 wins & 5 WC Globes from 133 starts
Lydia Lassila (Aerial Skiing) - 39 World Cup medals (16 wins & 1 WC Globe from 77 starts)
Dale Begg-Smith (Mogul Skiing) - 29 World Cup medals (18 wins & 4 WC Globes from 74 starts)
Alisa Camplin (Aerial Skiing) - 19 World Cup medals (10 wins & 2 WC Globes from 53 starts)

Lassila was remarkably near the top of the World Cup rankings in each season she was in competition, finishing on top of the standings as World Cup champion Globe winner in 2009, runner-up four times and in third place twice.

Next month Lassila will be aiming for her third medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea, which will be her fifth start at the Winter Olympics, the most by an Australian female.

IMAGES: Lydia Lassila at her first ever World Cup at Mt Buller in 2001 ©  Mark Ashkanasy / Alpine Images

Four-time Olympian Lydia Lassila has claimed silver and teammate Laura Peel has taken bronze at the second Aerial Skiing World Cup in Lake Placid, New York.

It’s the second time in as many days that the two VIS athletes have stepped up onto the podium at the last World Cup before PyeongChang.

It was very close, with both Australian athletes tied on the same score after doing the same jumps during each round of the competition, Lassila received the benefit of the tie break to move to the higher step on the podium.

Lassila, who woke up on the second competition day with a bout of food poisoning, finished in second place with a score of 93.76.

“Today was a real grind for me but I just did the bare minimum of jumps just to try and keep my energy reserves,” she said.

“It was tough but somehow I made it through, I had a nap in between qualifications and finals. The wind was really tricky today and it got a few people out but we managed it really well as a team and just did what I needed to do – nothing special, but just good!”

Joining Lassila on the podium again in third place was 2015 World Champion Laura Peel also with a score of 93.76.

The 28-year-old said that while she wasn’t “feeling great coming here” she leaves Lake Placid feeling “really good” after putting down the tricks she plans on performing at PyeongChang.

“I felt like I’d been training well but I didn’t feel like I’d been able to put it into the competition,” she said.

“I think I just kind of found a different mindset this week and I just wanted to go for it, hold nothing back before the Games and build some confidence, do all my tricks I’m going to do at the Games.

“It’s just about becoming more consistent and repeating … I can’t change the past so all I can do is attack the next competition and I think I did a really good job this weekend.”

For Lassila, who has now claimed five medals since rejoining the World Cup circuit in 2017, stepping back up onto the podium in Lake Placid was a bittersweet moment.

“This is my last ever World Cup, so it’s a little sad,” she said.

“I tried to really just enjoy each moment today, standing up there and feeling those nerves and that focus and that’s the part of this I miss – that feeling before the jump and then of course the exhilaration when you land. Those feelings can't be replicated anywhere else.”

All four Australian women made the top 12 and qualified for the finals on Day 2, with Peel and Lassila joined by 2017 World Championship silver medallist Danielle Scott, in sixth palce, and Sochi Olympian Sam Wells who finished 11th.

Olympic silver medallist David Morris narrowly missed out on the finals by 01.77 points, finishing the day in 13th place.

While there may have been 16,000 kilometres between Lake Placid and the land the athletes call home, there was still a strong Aussie support group present on Saturday to cheer on the Flying Kangaroos.

“It’s wonderful to have support here,” Lassila said.

“Dave Morris’ family have been an amazing support for me over many years but as well for the team so it’s good to have some connection to home when we’re so far away.”

Peel, whose mother was in the crowd, added that it has been “really awesome and cool to see the rest of Australia getting into winter sports and rallying a bit”, especially with just 18 days left until the opening ceremony of PyeongChang.

David Barden
OWIA

Four-time Olympian Lydia Lassila has won gold and fellow Flying Kangaroo Laura Peel has taken bronze at the Aerial Skiing World Cup in Lake Placid, New York.

Following what were disappointing results in Deer Valley last week, Australia’s aerial skiers bounced back in the first of their final two competitions before PyeongChang.

Lassila, who celebrated her 36th birthday during the week, finished in first place with a score of 99.75, said that it had been important “to step up the intensity this week” after she missed out on last week’s finals by 0.63 points.

“Long day, you know it’s hard for me to make it through a day I’m one year older this year!” she joked.

“You always want to be in the final especially in the Super Final so it’s important for me to do that and go through that process and have these long days so that I know in PyeongChang I’ve got that.

“But it was good, I really took it one jump at a time which is how I’ve kind of always tried to and I just felt really on, especially tonight I just felt really calm, confident, aggressive, assertive – all the right things that I needed to feel.

“I didn’t do too many training jumps because I just needed to conserve my body for tomorrow and, you know, just in general!”

Lydia shared the podium on Friday evening with Sochi Olympian and 2015 World Champion Laura Peel taking bronze with a score of 90.59.

With the Winter Games kicking off in 20 days, Peel said that it was “exciting to know that I did the jumps well today that I’m going to need to do”.

“So often in the top 12 I just do a full full and then one of my triple twisting doubles but today I decided to do two triple twisting doubles because we’ll have to do three jumps in PyeongChang,” she said.

With the last World Cup “not great for Australia”, Peel said that it had been “awesome” to get to stand on the podium with Lassila.

“I mean, Lyd’s like a superwoman so it’s always cool to be on the podium with her and Hanna [Huskova] from Belarus doing triples, it’s awesome seeing triples out there from the ladies,” she said.

“I think after Deer Valley I just had a little time to reflect and sort of refocus and I felt in a good place today, I felt calmer and more confident,” she said.

Fellow VIS skier Danielle Scott, who recently won gold in Secret Garden, finished the day in 12th place with a score of 52.52 after missing out on the six-woman Super Final after leading all Aussies earlier in the day qualifying in 3rd and teammate Sam Wells was 24th while two-time Olympian and Sochi silver medallist David Morris also finished 24th in the men’s event.

Speaking prior to Friday’s World Cup, coach Jeff Bean said that the focus for Lake Placid had been “just to take care of the little things” after the team “were all just a little bit off” at Deer Valley.

“We had a disappointment there,” Lassila said.

“The whole team did, so it was really important for us to step up the intensity this week and we did.”

With PyeongChang following a similar back-to-back consecutive day schedule, the tight turnaround in Lake Placid will be a great trial run for the Flying Kangaroos.

“It is great practice,” Lassila said.

“It will be about really conserving energy tonight, not getting too excited, going to sleep, getting physio – doing all the right things for my body which seems to be my biggest challenge and hopefully feeling fresh tomorrow.”

David Barden
OWIA

Australia’s Flying Kangaroos are jumping straight back in the saddle for this week’s Aerial Skiing World Cups in Lake Placid, New York following disappointing results in Deer Valley, Utah.
 
Coach Jeff Bean described the team’s last World Cup as being his “worst event in four years coaching with the team” but added that the Aussies are ready to “step up our game”.
 
“It just felt like everybody and everything was a little bit off across the board,” he said.
 
“We had some rough weather, but I don’t look at anything as an excuse, ever. We were just a little bit off, everybody was close but it was actually a good reminder for this week to just take care of the little things, take care of the details – the extra percentages here and there.”
 
Four-time Olympian Lydia Lassila missed out on progressing through to the first final by 0.63 points, finishing in 13th place in what was her first World Cup since March 2017.
 
Sam Wells finished 15th while Danielle Scott, who won gold in Secret Garden, China last December, came in at 17th and 2015 World Champion Laura Peel in 20th.
 
Two-time Olympian and Sochi silver medallist David Morris also narrowly missed out on making the men’s finals in Deer Valley, finishing just outside the top 12 in 14th place with a score of 104.98.
 
“The competition was actually really good, a lot of good jumps doing down which means you had to perform very well to get in [the finals],” he said.
 
“I unfortunately did a nice jump but not a fantastic landing, I got docked on my landing scores and was unable to make the finals.
 
“I’m not overly disappointed because really we’re just training for the Olympics so we can peak at the right moment – which is the whole team because we’ve all qualified so, at the moment, it’s just training and building up the skills and confidence leading into the Olympics.”

Bean said that “as painful as it was” for the Aussies, “it was a good reminder that it’s the details that help us win and have helped this program win in the past”, especially in the lead up to PyeongChang.
 
“That’s what we really need to get back to so luckily this wasn’t mid-February and we take it as a learning [opportunity] and we move on,” he said.
 
“Luckily we have two World Cups this week so we really get to get back on the horse right away which is a huge opportunity for us after a bad week.”
 
Fresh from the jump site, Bean said that Tuesday’s training “was probably the best we’ve had at a World Cup in probably a year”.
 
“The site was good, the weather was good – all of our girls did triple twists and double flips, Dave got up to triple flips so it really set us up for the week which is nice,” he said.
 
“And then we have a really good solid day of training tomorrow, we’ve already gone up two degrees of difficulties so we can work on our degree of difficulty. Quite often on World Cup you’re just scrambling to even do your jumps, here we can actually work on them.
 
With back-to-back competition days, the Flying Kangaroos will train again on Wednesday before taking Thursday off ahead of Friday and Saturday’s World Cups.
 
“I think the team’s actually feeling pretty good, [Deer Valley] was a good wake-up call for the staff as well as the athletes and everyone jumped well, just not well enough,” Bean said.
 
“We’ve just got to, for lack of a better term, step up our game and that’s what we’re doing this week, we’re just taking care of the details.
 
“Just raising the level of intensity a little bit for everyone because that’s what you need to do at this time of year in preparation for the Olympics because it’s going to be more stressful and more intense there so we have to be prepared for that.”
 
The final Aerials World Cups before PyeongChang will be held in Lake Placid, New York this week on Friday and Saturday. For live updates from the site, follow OWIA on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA

Australia’s aerials contingent have missed out on qualification for the finals of the penultimate World Cup event prior to PyeongChang 2018.

Needing to place in the top 12 in Deer Valley to progress to Final 1, Lydia Lassila came agonisingly close just 0.63 points off qualifiying in 13th place in what was her first event back since the 2017 World Championships.

Sam Wells finished 15th a further three points back with World Championships silver medallist Danielle Scott claiming 17th and 2015 World Champion Laura Peel in 20th.

In the men’s competition Sochi 2014 silver medallist David Morris also came close scoring 104.98 to finish 14th, just over five points outside of the top 12.

"It was a very tough day here for the team," coach Jeff Bean said.

"In my four years of coaching we've not had at least one athlete qualify for the final. It was all small little mistakes and in this sport when it's only three seconds it's those small little mistakes that count.

"Lydia finished in 13th only just missing the final but this is a day that we can all learn from.

"This wasn't the Olympics, we know the team is jumping well and we have two events in Lake Placid next week that we are going to move forward and focus on and make sure we are ready for the Games in February."

The Chinese and USA teams dominated the women’s event progressing four athletes each through to Final 1 while Belarus’ Sochi 2014 gold medallist Anton Kushnir topped the qualification charts for the men.

Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au

Danielle Scott won the day two Aerial Skiing, redeeming herself in the best way possible after placing 22nd on her first day on the hill at China’s Secret Garden, aerials location for the 2022 Olympic Games.
 
Indeed, there was nothing that could wipe the smile off the faces of the Flying Kangaroos on Sunday who were not only thrilled at their teammate’s excellent result but also overjoyed after claiming silver in the team aerials event.
 
“Yesterday was a bit of a sad day for me, I got blown off the hill so didn’t really have much of a chance,” Scott said.
 
“Good to come out and have a bit of a redemption today, it was still really tricky conditions. I did exactly what I needed to do and broke the 100 points which is what I’ve been aiming for this season, just trying to get those little goals.”
 
The Flying Kangaroos and VIS skiers went into the nail-biting final round of the team event against China and Russia with the pressure on once again for the team who earned bronze last year to pull out their biggest tricks.
 
As Scott pointed out, with the Aussies having just two women on the double “it makes it a little bit more difficult for us to produce higher scores”.
 
“Last year we came third which was pretty exciting because we have a big disadvantage having two girls and one guy compared to two guys and one girl,” Morris added.
 
“These two ladies really to have to pull their biggest skills and we can’t really can’t make any mistakes if we want to make it through the rounds and we did that today which is very exciting.
 
“[We] ended up one spot higher than last year so we’ve progressed a little bit which is excellent and it was pretty fun. Thought we had it there for a minute, we saw China go down and I got a little too excited too early and then they beat us by a very small margin but a fantastic result for the day and everyone jumped like champs.”
 
“We’ll one up it next year,” Scott laughed, “pressure is on!”

Morris, a two-time Olympian, finished ninth on Day Two and said that the team competition had been “a good little confidence boost that we’ll take into the next competition”.
 
“Ninth today, a bit better than yesterday,” he joked.
 
“Nearly the same score, I think I beat it by one whole point which was a little sad because it was a way straighter jump but very happy with ninth.”
 
Samantha Wells also improved on the second day of the World Cup, placing fifth despite far from ideal conditions.
 
“Maybe a bit warmer [today] if anything and I put three full double fulls down one after the other in all different ranges and I was really, really pleased with myself,” she said.
 
“We were really happy to come to this event and jump in some difficult conditions and bring out our higher degree of difficulty in the opening event. We’re really pleased to be walking away from this event with a silver medal as a team and it’s a great way to open the season for us.
 
“We’ve got a big training camp coming up before [the next competition] so I think we’ll be probably be a bit more prepared with a few more jumps under our belts and a few more landings under our belts and it’ll be a good chance to knock them out of the park.”
 
Sochi Olympian Laura Peel finished 13th on the second day of the World Cup and currently sits 12th on the World Cup Standings while teammates Scott and Wells now sit 3rd and 5th respectively.

Watching from the judges stand, five-time Olympian and World Champion Jacqui Cooper described the “quite special moment” she had watching the three girls she recruited into aerial skiing as teenagers compete at a World Cup.
 
“My career ended as theirs started,” she said.
 
“To come back and see them all, that was fantastic. I was even getting pins and needles in my hands and in my feet. Obviously yesterday was a bit of a tough day but I was happy, Sam and I had some bonding time before the competition. To see Danni come out today and win it’s really nice to have moments with these athletes that I’ll always have a strong connection with.
 
“The win is the bonus; the medals are the bonuses but at the moment our team wouldn’t be focused on trying to win every event. It’s about getting competition experience for the rest of the season … We are heading in the right direction.”
 
The next World Cup for the aerial skiers will be from the 10-12 January at Deer Valley, USA. 


David Barden
OWIA​​

Wind gusts and below freezing temperatures made for a tricky day for Australia’s VIS aerial skiers at the first FIS World Cup of the season at Secret Garden, China.
 
Sochi Olympian Samantha Wells said that the conditions on the morning of the competition had been “the worst possible” for an aerials event but managed to place sixth overall after progressing through to the Super Final.
 
“It was minus 22 on the thermometer with wind gusts in all different directions, so we had swirling wind on the in runs which makes it really difficult to get the consistent speed that we want,” she said.
 
The 27-year-old managed to “scrape through” the morning’s qualification round placing eighth “because not many people were landing”.
 
“Then [we] came out this afternoon to much warmer conditions – and by warmer I mean it was a bit more sunny and a little less wind maybe, but still pretty gusty,” she said.
 
“I had really great training so I was able to put a number of jumps to my feet and really build my confidence heading into the first round of finals and I felt really relaxed going into it.
 
Wells had a smooth jump and nice landing which saw her head into the Super Final in fifth place.

“In the Super Final I pushed up my DD to try and get some mileage on the tricks that I plan on performing in PyeongChang and I didn’t land which put me into sixth place but I’m really happy to have been able to get the mileage on that trick in preparation for PyeongChang.”

​Despite the wind gusts, Wells said that her failure to land came down to “personal error” but she takes it all in her stride.
 
“Got to claim it, you’ve got to own it and I can own that crash because it’s a step in the right direction even though it was a mistake,” she said.

“I’ve learnt from it and can carry that into my next World Cup events.”
 
Laura Peel ranked eighth in the women’s qualification and finished the day in ninth place while Danielle Scott ranked 22nd after a missed landing in the qualification round.

After qualifying second and making his way into the finals, David Morris placed 11th overall and said that he was “really pleased with a solid start to the season”.
 
“In tricky conditions, it was a good challenge to do one of my harder skills (quadruple-twisting triple-flip),” he said.
 
“But PyeongChang was very windy so to get some practice in less comfortable conditions is vital.
 
“Really great result for our team today, with three of us into finals and Sam shining after a good summer of training.”

Tomorrow sees the team competition at Secret Garden where Morris hopes to see “some good results” and “have some fun in a slightly less stressful contest”.
 
“It is day two tomorrow, [I’m feeling] much more confident after today’s training and I managed to put the jumps to my feet which was the key for me today, getting the rotation right and landing and I feel pretty relaxed about tomorrow,” Wells added.
 
You can keep up with live updates from Secret Garden HERE or on OWIA’s Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA

Australia’s aerial skiers will compete in the first FIS World Cup of the season in China this weekend and they’re raring to go following an intensive training camp in Ruka, Finland.
 
As one would expect, training at the Finnish ski resort also provided our Aussies with a prime opportunity to get their confidence up, according to coach Jeff Bean.
 
“In the three plus years I’ve been involved in the team this is the best training camp we’ve had,” he said.
 
“Ruka was the best it’s ever been, mother nature was good to us this year. Of our scheduled training days in an outdoor sport we didn’t lose any, we really got to stick to our plan and it made a huge difference to get that volume in.”
 
Training wasn’t the only thing that the aerialists were up to in Ruka though. In between jumping, rehab, physio and dwindling hours of sunlight, they also managed to fit in the perfect pre-World Cup warm up by competing in the Europa cup.
 
“Four weeks is a real grind in Ruka in the dark … by the end of it we only had three hours of sunlight, and it is groundhog say,” Bean said.
 
“To have a little bit of change and really see where things will sit was a good opportunity for everyone and we had some great results which was great. For all five of the OWIA athletes [it] was the best thing.”
 
On the first day of the competition, Laura Peel jumped two well executed back somersaults to take first place.
 
Day two saw Danielle Scott completing two triple twisting double back somersaults to finish over 10 points clear in first place. Peel also claimed her second medal of the competition, finishing in third place.
 
While aerial skiing is most definitely an individual sport, the incredible bond that exists between our Aussies is one that helps our athletes fly higher than ever before.
 
“It’s crucial, I’m of the philosophy that success breeds success,” Bean said.
 
“These guys do push each other because when you see your teammate working hard you want to work as hard. These guys live together 10 months a year, that to me plays a big role in it and I think for both Joe and myself it’s something we’ve tried to push that team environment because success breeds success.”
 
While physical training is undoubtedly paramount, “the mental side is just as important in a sport that takes three seconds”.
 
“Any small mental mistake and your jump is over,” Bean said.
 
“These athletes train 10, 12, 15 years of their lives for seconds, so you want to have all the pieces of the puzzle in place.
 
“We only have five or six opportunities prior to PyeongChang to work on that ability to compete.”
 
And with the World Cup season kicking off less than 60 days before the Winter Games, the pressure is on – but the Aussies aren’t going to let that faze them.
 
“Our focus is business as usual and it’s been great so far this year,” Bean said.
 
“This group has been coming to this Chinese World Cup for five or six years now, everything is about routine.”
 
The first FIS Aerial Skiing World Cup of the season kicks off this weekend from the 16 – 17 December. For live results, click HERE or follow OWIA on Twitter HERE or Facebook HERE.
 
For more on how our Aussies went in the Europa Cup, click HERE.

David Barden
OWIA
 
 
 

OWIA/VIS athletes Laura Peel and Danielle Scott have started the season in great form, both recording victories in a warm up Europa Cup competition in Ruka, Finland.
 
With many of the world’s top athletes currently in Ruka preparing for the World Cup season, a strong field competed in two events.
 
On day one, Laura Peel jumped two well executed double back somersaults to take first place. Samantha Wells and Danielle Scott struggled with their landings finishing in 16th and 26th.
 
On day two, Danielle Scott rebounded strongly, competing two triple twisting double back somersaults to finish over 10 points clear in first place. Laura Peel claimed her second medal, finishing in third place, with Sam Wells also improving from day one to finish in tenth.
 
David Morris improved on his day one finish of 18th to place 12th on day two.
 
VIS development athletes also competed in the event, with Brittany George recording the highest place finish, with a 12th place day two performance. Abbey Willcox had her best result on day two finishing in 20th. The event was the first Aerial Skiing career starts for Gabi Ash and Alice Neill, with Gabi 15th on day one and Alice 19th on day two.
 
The first World Cup for the OWIA/VIS athletes will take place in Secret Garden, China, on December 16-17.

IMAGE: Daniel Scott (left) and Laure Peel (right), Europa Cup winners in Ruka, Finland.

Andrew Pattison
OWIA

Beneath the unassuming and quietly spoken persona lurks a determined athlete.

Nicknamed ‘The Real Deal Peel’, Laura Peel is one of the few aerial skiers who came to her sport in 2009 as both an accomplished skier and gymnast, quickly making her mark on the international scene with multiple World Cup medals, seventh at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and a World Championship title in 2015.

A severe ankle injury in early 2015, requiring two surgeries and lengthy rehabilitation, kept the Canberra native on the sidelines the following season as she watched her team mates soar in North America, Europe and Asia.

Peel made it back to the top ranks last season in immediate style with a return to the top twelve but the World Cup medals, whilst tantalising close, eluded her until the final competition in Moscow early this year when she secured a bronze.

Now in the best shape of her career after spending the off season in Park City, Utah with the Flying Kangaroos squad, Peel had a short break at home before leaving for Ruka, Finland on November 11.

“It’s nice to relax and not feel any pressure, have a car, see friends, check into reality and get out of the bubble for a bit,” Peel said.

“It’s always good to get out and get a bit of perspective. That’s necessary.”

The break at home was short after spending the northern hemisphere summer on the specially constructed Aerial Skiing water ramps in Park City, Utah.

“The pool is hard on the body and I’m excited about getting onto snow. Our focus is on training and we try to enjoy that.”

Speaking with Peel, there’s one trait that is noticeable. Every thought or explanation is rounded off with a positive note.

“This summer I didn’t introduce any new tricks. It’s about getting those tricks to the best standard I can. I’m healthy and confident. That’s important.”

Consistency is uppermost in the 28-year-old’s mind.

“I’m feeling good,” Peel said. “I finally got back on the podium last season. Even though I saved it for the last event, I’m back in the game and where I needed to be.”

“Ruka (in Finland) is one of my favourite places. It’s just beautiful, honestly. Beautiful sun sets and very different.”
Returning to Finland is akin to a fairy tale.

“It’s bushland straight to Frozen! We go from very long days (in Australia) to very, very short (in Ruka).

The day light hours in Finland at this time of year are so short that most of training is done under lights. Plus the Aussies have company.

“There’s a lot of teams training in Ruka. Pretty much all the field except for China,” Peel explained.

“We do hang out. It’s nice that everyone is pretty friendly.”

Looking ahead to PyeongChang, Peel reflected on what she has learned from Sochi.  

“The Olympics can be overwhelming. Usually there’s not many spectators or media and then Olympics changes everything”

“It’s important to realise you’re doing the exact same thing. I’ve done it before and it will be less overwhelming and I want to give my best performance.”

Conditions will play a part in Korea on 14 and 15 February when Aerial Skiing takes centre stage for Australian viewers.   
“There’s quite a bit of wind on the site, which is not ideal, but we spend a lot of time coping with the different speeds and coping with the wind. I will be doing all the jumps I’ve done before.”

“Three jumps in a row. Confidence and consistency is going to be important.”
 
 

With just over 100 days remaining until the opening of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, Aerials skier Samantha Wells is primed to perform.

Between May and October this year, the 28-year-old Novocastrian spent an intense four months training at the Utah Olympic Park Aerials training facility, churning out the repetitions needed to ensure a smooth transition to the snow in the winter season.


Wells, who claimed second place at the 2016 Lake Placid World Cup make up event held in Deer Valley, says the gruelling training regime at Park City has left her confident ahead of the upcoming World Cup season and Pyeongchang 2018.


“My goals were to become confident in all the different ranges that I need to perform each of my highest and hardest tricks at, ready for competition, and I felt like I achieved that,” said Wells who finished 18th on Olympic debut at the Sochi 2014 Games.


“I am feeling confident and comfortable with the skills I am going to be transferring to snow this year, and will be heading into the winter confidently knowing that I can handle anything that is thrown at me.”


Wells’ aerial training at Park City was certainly no walk in the park.


Mornings began with pilates, injury specific strength and maintenance, a 20-minute high-intensity warm up, balance work, and visualisation in preparation for water ramp training.


Wells would then hit the water ramp for an hour and a half, honing her skills and jumps through repetition.


“In that time I would do about 10 jumps on a double, or 15 or so jumps on a single - depending what I was working on. But I spend most of my time on the double kicker working on my double somersault tricks.


“The water jump is a really good way of getting in the repetitions we need during the summer months to perform new tricks and skills in a safer environment before we transfer them onto the snow.”


After a quick lunch, Wells would spend another hour and a half session at the water ramp, then straight to the gym for a workout - either upper body, lower body, cardio, or another strength specific pilates session.


After a gruelling day of physical exertion, Wells would finally return home for physio treatment, relaxation, visualisation – and of course, dinner.


“It is pretty intense - but it is a great regime for feeling ready to compete,” Wells continued.


Despite returning to Australia in October, Wells’ schedule has only been getting more intense.


“I had two short days at home, and then I flew down to Melbourne for a fitness camp.


However brief, the time with family and friends was a welcome reprieve.


“Friends and family are the one thing that we really miss on the road - that social contact with all the people that we have in our lives. The internet is great, but in person can’t be beaten.”


Wells spent much of her time in the gym at the Victorian Institute of Sport, and refining her aerial skills in the bungee system at the Ski and Snowboard Australia water ramp facility near Lilydale.


“The main goal for the fitness camp was to keep my aerial awareness active while I was in the bungee, and to really consolidate the strength and conditioning training while I was at home."


As if the mental, physical, and emotional strain of preparing for the World Cup and the Winter Olympics wasn’t enough, Wells is also working to complete the final year of her Bachelor of Health Science.


Although the combined pressure of training for the Olympics and undertaking a degree seems daunting, Wells says she enjoys the challenge.


“I like to keep busy. Whether it is studying, working on some kind of handcraft, reading a good book, I always like to have something on the go - I’m not good at just sitting around and doing nothing.


In early November the Australian team will be heading over to Finland for preseason training, where Wells will be transferring everything she has learned on the water ramps to the snow in preparation for the first World Cup event in China


From there it’s straight onto the World Cup circuit and then, if all goes to plan, to South Korea for her second Winter Olympics Games.


Wells is determined to bring home some gold this year and will definitely be one to watch throughout the season.
“I’ve stood on every other block but the biggest one at the end of the day, and I’d like to stand on the biggest one."


Beth Green
olympics.com.au

Australia’s winter sporting family gathered on Sunday, October 15 to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia’s Chairman Geoff Henke AO at the O’Brien Group Arena in Melbourne.
 
Among the guests who celebrated with the Henke family were Olympic medallists Alisa Camplin, Lydia Lassila and Zali Steggall who all paid tribute to Geoff’s vision and support.

Also speaking at the glittering evening was Australia’s first World Champion in Aerial Skiing, Kirstie Marshall, transport magnate and close friend, Lyndsay Fox and former Federal Sports Minister Rod Kemp. 

It has often been written that Geoff Henke is the father of the modern day Australian Winter Olympians.

Anybody can champion their cause and try to make a difference, but the remarkable achievement Geoff Henke has forged through his vision, leadership and boundless energy in conceiving firstly the Australian Winter Institute and then shepherding that fledgling organisation into the Olympic Winter Institute Australia since 1998 is remarkable.

 “What is best for the athlete” is the foundation of Geoff Henke’s vision and the reason that the OWIA is successful.
​
Geoff Henke has helped to shape better Australian winter athletes and change the perception of how winter sport is perceived on home soil

Aerial skiing might be an individual sport but it is the incredible team bond that is helping to ensure our Australian athletes are flying higher than ever before.

Currently training on the water ramps at Utah Olympic Park, the Australian team lives, trains and laughs together as they build towards the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

There is plenty to be happy about for the Aussie contingent with each of the team landing on the World Cup podium last season, and all appear to have a shot at adding to Australia’s five Aerials Olympic medals at PyeongChang next year.  

“When there's good banter, that's a decent sign of a well bonded team, and our banter is pretty constant,” said Sochi 2014 silver medallist and 2017 World Championships bronze medallist David Morris.

“Everyone is doing really well and being as supportive as they can whilst also making sure they concentrate on themselves. The mood is always good up on the ramps, the team is always having a good time and I can honestly say everyone is jumping really well which in turn makes training more enjoyable all-round.

“We will definitely be a force to reckoned with come the snowfall.”

Morris’ roommate is World Championship silver medallist Danielle Scott is also thriving in the positive environment.
 
“The team dynamic is pretty chill right now as every World Cup athlete has already qualified for the Games according to our national criteria,” she said.

“Dave and I live together and it is a lot of fun pushing each other inside and outside of training, we have a lot of hilarious banter!”

The Utah sun is a long way from the icy competition slopes that will soon be upon the Aussie athletes and they are lapping up the warmer weather for as long as they can.

“I love water ramp training mainly because it's summer,” said Scott.

“It's a lot harder on the body but I'm a summer girl at heart so I don't know if I could do this sport if we didn't have a summer.

“Training is going well. I'm working on some pretty technical parts of my jumping so it's been intense but good.

“My coaches Joe and Jeff have been fantastic in pushing me and giving me everything I need to be the best jumper I can be leading into next season.”

With the strong training base in place Scott is confident she will be ready to go come the PyeongChang 2018 Games.
“It sure is a different feeling leading into these Games now that I have one under my belt,” she said.

“It will be nice to enjoy the hype as opposed to being a little overwhelmed by it.

“The first Olympics for us is usually about gaining experience so I do feel a lot more confident knowing that I have that experience and can focus more on my performance.”

Morris is also making the most of the camp in Utah.

“I'm smashing training at the moment,” he said.

“I came over here well prepared after an intense strength and fitness camp at the VIS and have hit the ground running and haven't stopped.

“We've been incredibly fortunate with almost perfect weather every day, we haven't had any cancelled sessions and the whole team has utilised this opportunity.

“After a lot of work fixing things last year I was quickly able to get up to speed and up to my hardest skills rather quickly which is always more fun because the more twists I do the more I enjoy it.”

Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au
 

A new 20-year agreement to better support Aerial Skiing athletes has been announced at Mt Buller, making the alpine village an official Olympic Training Centre and Victoria’s home for the development of future Olympic and World Champions in Aerial and Mogul Skiing.
 
Under the landmark agreement between the Olympic Winter Institute Australia (OWIA), the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS), Buller Ski Lifts, Mt Buller Resort Management Board and Ski and Snowboard Australia, Aerial Skiing athletes can look forward to improved facilities and access at Mt Buller that will enhance the effectiveness of athlete training programs.
 
The existing Olympic Training Centre activities based at Mt Buller were recognised by the Australian Olympic Committee in 1995 and have been crucial in helping to produce five Olympic and fifteen World Championship medals, including Olympic gold Medallists Alisa Camplin (2002) and Lydia Lassila (2010).  
 
OWIA Chairman Geoff Henke AO paid tribute to the advances winter sports have made.
 
“Winter sports have had remarkable success over the past decade, and now sit only behind Swimming and Sailing on current Olympic Sport high performance rankings. We are delighted to announce this partnership with Mt Buller to help more Australians reach the pinnacle of winter sport success for years to come,” Geoff Henke said.
 
Extended operations at Mt Buller include a 20-year lease of an accommodation facility of 20-25 beds for OWIA/VIS athlete and program staff, night training access for both the Aerials and Mogul Skiing courses, the development and access to a specialised acrobatic centre, gym access and a meeting/study room.
 
“The agreement will no doubt help us to continue to excel in a sport we’ve had so much success in over the years,” said PyeongChang 2018 Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman.

“Having won 10 World Cup medals and two World Championships medals this past season, along with a number of junior athletes coming through the ranks, we are sure to go from strength-to-strength in the sport in the coming years. It will be great that these athletes will be able to spend part of their year on home soil training.”
 
On-site accommodation for Aerial athletes and program staff at Mt Buller make it the only resort in Australia where Olympic athletes can live on mountain and train both day and night.
 
Earthworks, snow making and lights installation for the Aerials site and Mogul course on Chamois Run will also provide more effective and productive training for OWIA/VIS and SSA athletes.
 
Under the agreement, 25 night-time jumping sessions per season, sport specific acrobatic training and more ski time for the athletes by living on mountain will be added to the existing VIS program.
 
“As part of this historic agreement, Buller Ski Lifts will be upgrading the snowmaking facilities on the Chamois Run and installing lights so that athletes can train day and night,” Laurie Blampied, General Manager, Buller Ski Lifts said.
 
“We’re also extending our arrangement to keep the tremendously successful Victorian Interschools Snowsports Championships at Mt Buller for at least another five years.”  

A driving force to assist winter athletes has come from Rino Grollo and his family.
 “Diana and our family have been partners with the Winter Olympic movement since Lillehammer in 1994,” Rino Grollo, Chair, Grollo Group explained.

“Buller Ski Lifts has been a partner of the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia since its inception in 1997, and we are very proud of the success that our winter athletes have enjoyed in the past and look forward to sharing the future successes that this new partnership will enable.”

For aspiring winter athletes, the opportunity to train alongside the best will be a reality.

 “This is wonderful news for athletes, parents, children and visitors to Mt Buller. Young skiers will be able to watch their heroes train right beside the Village Square, then follow their dreams from ski school to the Victorian Interschools, involvement in Mt Buller Sports Clubs, and then on to an elite training program – all right here at Mt Buller. And the FIS dual moguls course will also be open to all skiers when it’s not required for training,” said Andy Evans, Director, Mt Buller Mt Stirling Resort Management Board.

Aerial Skiing training has been a fixture at Mt Buller since the sport’s inception in the mid-1980s when Kirstie Marshall became Australia’s first international representative in the new winter discipline.
 
Marshall went on to become Australia’s first Aerial Skiing World Champion, paving the way for Jacqui Cooper, Alisa Camplin and the current all-World Cup medallist squad, which includes Olympic gold medallist Lydia Lassila, Olympic silver medallist David Morris, 2015 World Champion Laura Peel, 2016/17 World number two Danielle Scott and three-time World Cup medallist Samantha Wells.
 
Ski and Snowboard Australia has welcomed the increased support.
 
“Mt Buller has always been an important partner for our sport and in particular Aerial Skiing. We are delighted to partner with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia and Mt Buller to extend their athlete training programs. We also welcome the long-term vision of Mt Buller in supporting winter sport and are pleased to be extending the rights to host the Victorian Interschools at Mt Buller,” Dean Gosper, President Ski & Snowboard Australia said.

Formal contracts will be finalised in the coming months with the Centre expected to be up and running by winter 2018.
 

There’s much, much more to three-time World Cup Aerial Skiing medalist Sam Wells than the dedicated athlete she undoubtedly is.

Sam Wells, dubbed the quiet achiever, is in a very good place personally and in her sport.

A self-acknowledged ‘busy’ person, Wells combines training with a final year of her Bachelor of Health Science degree, holds a Level 4 Certificate in fitness and is an accomplished cook who raises funds for the Cancer Council through her Biggest Morning Teas.

With one Olympics and three World Cup medals under her Flying Kangaroo belt, Wells wants more.

“Medals are a tick, but the gold one is on the to do list. I’ve got a silver and two bronzes. I want to stand on the top,” she said from Park City in Utah.

“I’ve been doing a lot of things in my training, which started at Lilydale in April (in Victoria) and we’ve been working on both of my triple twisting doubles.”

“As sub-par as Lilydale may seem, it was a bonus for me. We worked on the single and spent a ton of time on doubles on the bungy. In twenty-minutes I can punch out 40 or 50 doubles and then transfer that to the ramps.”

“Being able to get the reps on the bungy has been a real secret weapon for me.”

“In Park City, I have been able to transfer all the things I worked on from Lilydale and it’s been a much smoother transition,” she said.

By the end of July Wells was up to her full degree of difficulty (DD) and improving her form in the air.  

“Our competition is based on consistency. For me to jump DD consistently is important. On my double in last year I was having difficulty keep my feet together so I’ve been working on that. The water ramps are helping me find the correct prompts and cues.”
 
Water ramping for Aerial skiers is a complicated business and not for the faint-hearted. The Flying Kangaroos complete approximately nine jumps per session into the pool at Park City, which requires the ability to swim with skis on.
   
 “With a life jacket and boots that float it’s not that hard. You tuck your heels up so the skis are on the top of the water and get good at breaststroke,” Wells explained.  

“I weigh a lot more with my gear on. About 10 to 15kgs more than when I’m dry. I always think at training that walking up the stairs is the hardest part of the day but it’s good for our fitness too. Especially at altitude.”

Far from study taking a back seat, the 28-year-old has continued her Bachelor of Health Science majoring in health promotion.

“I chose to study it because it’s in the field I’m interested in. There are three subjects to go. Two this semester and one after the Olympics.”

Athletes who compartmentalise their training often have other interests.  Study and utilising time productively is key for the Newcastle native.

“You have to give your brain a rest sometimes,” she says when asked about training only. “I’d go mad otherwise.”

“Pursuing other goals gives me a sense of satisfaction, which helps me to be diligent and focused about my sport and more and not get burnt out thinking about Aerials all the time.”

 Wells also achieved a Certificate 4 in Fitness last year, which she added to her Certificate for Hospitality, “just to add to the repertoire”. 

Bringing together her skill in the kitchen to help others is a natural fit, which benefit her fellow athletes - who acknowledge Sam as ’definitely the best in the team kitchen’ and allows her to raise funds for the Cancer Council.  

For the third year Sam has hosted a Biggest Morning Tea after her interest in the project was sparked when she volunteered at the Cancer Council as part of her university course.   

“This year’s spread was pretty good and I raised over $600.  I plan on doing it forever. It’s amazing the difference the funds can do to make someone’s life a little better.

“I love making stuff. It doesn’t matter what it is. I like the challenge of seeing something from start to finish.”
Team dinners on Sam’s watch always means something different.

“We have to submit our meals for team camps but usually it’s, ‘Yay – Sam’s cooking’. There may be old favourites but I like to experiment every time.”

Recent meals for the team have included lemon, balsamic and ginger chicken burgers with charred corn capsicum and tomato and a mouth-watering rice noodle salad with pork sate patties.

Danielle Scott is more than happy to hand over the apron.

“Cooking is like an art for Sam and she is the winner in the chef department. She definitely loves to cook and we just like to get fed,” Scott said.

Wells attributes her culinary skills to her family.

“My mum is great cook, and her mum is a great cook. It’s about learning new skills and the mastery of the challenge,” she said.  

There’s no idle hands or an idle mind in the Wells’ household it seems - from making curtains, moccasins, hand sewing or a macramé wall hanging.

“Sewing and craft are high on my list. I love being genuinely busy and good at stuff.”

It’s ten years since Sam Wells has lived at home on the shores of Lake Macquarie in NSW but she will be home in mid-October for a short holiday, but if you want to keep up with this high achiever, you’d want to be up early.
 
 By Belinda Noonan
OWIA

At this time of year, training for Aerial Skiers has less to do with snow and much more with its warmer genesis.

The Flying Kangaroos have been in Park City, Utah since May honing their skills with water-ramping.

Current world silver medallist, multiple World Cup medallist and Sochi Olympian, Danielle Scott is one of Australia’s medal hopes next February who is making the most of her pre-Olympic training.

“So far it’s been water ramping, stepping up strength and conditioning and ballet (barre) for flexibility and body alignment,” Scott said.

“I already have the fluidity, but the barre work is used as cross training and helps with our posture, being tall and moving as one piece,” she explained.

Scott is not training new jumps but doing what she does better.  

“For me it’s refining what I have been doing and getting the jumps as perfect as I can.”

That means going into the water again and again.

“Training here is so important. Park City is one of the world’s best facilities. Everything is so close. The gym, shops and accommodation make it simple and easy. This place has so much to offer in summer and winter.”

Park City is home to the US aerial team and this year the Swiss and Chinese teams are training there as well.

 “You do see people throwing harder tricks off the water ramp because there is no ski-away. That’s a lighter side of being altogether in the one facility.”

Training for the Australians means long days and spending a lot of time together. 

A typical day begins at 8am with an hour in the gym, ramps from 10.30am until noon and again from 1.30pm to 3pm, followed by another gym session, physio, psych and video replay before a team dinner.

“Someone always cooks a team dinner. We take it in turns but Sam (Wells) definitely loves to cook and we just like to get fed. It’s like an art for her. She’s the winner in the chef department.”

Scott shares accommodation with Dave Morris, and the chat is continual.  

“First thing in the morning the banter begins. It’s constant. If someone had a recording it would be hilarious,” she said.
 
“There is not a lot of personal space and there are times when I get the go pro out and take some great footage. We all have different ways to relax and unwind.”  

The team will remain in Park City until early October.

“We are the mercy of the US. They design their perfect schedule and we have to fit around that."

 “We only get ninety-minute water ramp sessions with really short breaks, which is not great for recovery.”

Coaches Joe Davies and Jeff Bean are essential to the ongoing Aussie success.   

“With Joe’s technical expertise out there and Jeff’s second eye, they are right down to the minute details and really trying to maximise every point.”

Joe Davies, an American who formerly coached members of the US Aerial team, is a bonus for the Flying Kangaroos.   

“We have maintained good relations with other countries on the world tour,” Scott explained. “Joe has kept that respect and that helps us to use facilities like here in Park City and also in Switzerland. USA shut the Chinese out last season and that could have been us.”

“It’s time for us to have our own facility and not be at the mercy of other countries.”

Whilst Scott understands the decision of the NSW Government to not proceed with the Lennox Head facility in late May, she remains disappointed that neither Brisbane or Lennox Head have had a green light.

“For us to still not have a facility, it’s upsetting really. I respect where that community was coming from and before that I got my hopes up for Brisbane, thinking that we would have friends and family nearby.   

“Australia has such a rich history in Aerial Skiing and the future of the sport relies upon having a facility.”

Since the sport was first introduced to the Winter Olympics in 1994, Australia has won two gold (Alisa Camplin and Lydia Lassila), one silver (David Morris) and two  bronze (Alisa Camplin and Lydia Lassila).

Korea may not be the last Olympics for Danielle Scott.

“If a water ramp was built in Australia, I’d definitely continue.”

By Belinda Noonan OWIA

Olympic Winter Institute Australia Chairman Geoff Henke AO  and Olympic Gold Medallist Lydia Lassila have acknowledged the NSW Government’s decision yesterday (Saturday, May 27) not to proceed with the multi sports development at the proposed state government owned Lake Ainsworth site at Lennox Head on the North NSW coast.
 
The proposed new Olympic Swimming Pool and Ski Jump Ramp project at Lake Ainsworth had planned to provide Australia’s elite winter athletes with a training base alongside an all-year facility that offered full community access to the pool for multiple sports, gym, meeting spaces and expert sports personnel.  
 
“Whilst we are disappointed that the local community at Lennox Head felt that this project was unsuitable for their area, we respect their view and also welcome the state government’s commitment to find an alternative regional site for this much-needed facility,” Mr Henke and Ms Lassila jointly said today.
 
In announcing the government’s decision today, Nationals Parliamentary Secretary for Northern NSW Ben Franklin said, “I support this project being built in regional NSW. At the right location, the facility would provide a much-needed boost for local jobs and businesses.”
 
Sports Minister Stuart Ayres said that despite the project not being built at Lennox Head - “We’re looking for an alternative site.”
 
The project is a collaboration between the NSW government, Australian Olympic Committee, Australian Sports Commission and the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA).
 
Winter Olympic gold and bronze medallist Lydia Lassila has been personally lobbying for an Australian facility since her win in 2010 in Vancouver.
 
“Without a facility such as the one proposed, Australians continue to be at a competitive disadvantage - always at the mercy of international training facilities and unable to recruit and develop young Australian athletes in cross sport transfer programs who wish to compete, or experience different sports, because the cost of training overseas is prohibitive,” Lydia Lassila said.  
 
“Today’s decision is saddening because the Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre in Lennox Head was (and still is) impressive, due to the existing sport and recreation as well as lodging at the facility and in the town itself.”
 
The Lennox Head community cited the height of the ramp structure as its main contention.
 
“The Ski Jump Water Ramp is a 30 metre structure – not a building nor real estate development, which forms only part of the proposed new facility,” Lassila explained.  
 
“The project would provide a state-of-the-art Olympic sized swimming pool and additional services such as a gym, medical services, amenities, meeting spaces and more for any local sporting or social group or individual who wishes to use the facility.”  
 
“As athletes, we are not potential developers nor do we have any commercial aspirations.”
Mr Henke outlined various social and economic benefits for a regional facility of this type.   
“We know there is an increased demand for water polo training facilities on the northern coast and that is just one water sport that could benefit from a facility such as the one we are proposing,” he said. 
 
“In addition there is the potential for diving, Learn-to-Swim schools, synchronised swimming, competitions, school classes, squad swimming and water-based exercise classes in a heated pool all year round – we see an opportunity for other sports such as trampoline, scuba diving training and talent cross over programs.”
 
 “Economically, it makes sense.  Short-term rental in the winter months for homes, units and caravan parks by athletes, their parents and sports program coaches and staff would increase.”

“International visitors, Australian athletes and their families in winter would increase trade in local business. As a multi-purpose project with water sports enthusiasts in the summer and winter athletes utilising the facility in the winter months, patronage is assured all year-round and makes social and economic sense.”

“The pool would never need to be the exclusive domain of elite athletes because it can be divided into sections by floating booms. Plus, the number of high level coaches and elite athletes relocating or accessing this facility and its services can only be of benefit to young upcoming athletes in many other sports.”  

Many winter sports use ramps as a training tool including Aerial skiing, Moguls, Big Air and Slopestyle.

High level sports services experts and practitioners include physiotherapists, physiologists, Sports Medicine, biomechanists, nutritionists and support personnel who would complement local practitioners with experience, expertise and opportunity.
 
Mr Henke looks forward to continuing to work with the NSW Office of Sport in finding a suitable site as soon as possible.
 
“Training in favourable conditions would give Australians an enormous advantage over the rest of the world, enable us to recruit and develop our grass roots athletes on a larger scale and give more kids the opportunity to participate in a range of different snow and indeed summer sports.” 
 
For Lydia Lassila the ‘Will to Fly” never leaves.
 
“With an Australian facility, we will be able to develop our own Australian coaches rather than rely on international coaches,” she said.
 
“Elite athletes working, eating, studying and living in the local community. A place where you can cycle or walk to training. A place where an athlete can focus on their sport, yet find balance in life.”
 
“I would hope a regional community will support this facility and become an integral part of it. “

​Lydia Lassila has told her peers to ‘savour’ their Olympics experience and make the most of every moment.

The four-time Olympian was in Melbourne attending Australian team processing for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang when she addressed athletes.
 
“Savour these experiences because they are what last forever,” Lassila said.
 
“Not only the performance (but) the fun times and the struggles that you go through.
 
“Treasure that, it doesn’t last forever. Make the most out of it,” she said.
 
Lassila said each of her four Olympic Games experiences has been different.
 
“I was in a different headspace each time,” she said.
 
“From the rookie who was super green and didn’t know what was going on and overwhelmed by the first experience. Everyone was looking after me.
 
“By the next Games I was the veteran and I was seasoned.
 
“Now I’ve got kids and I’m in a completely different mindset, but really enjoying myself and savoring these last moments as an athlete. It’s really special.”
 
Two-time Olympian Britt Cox recalled her first Olympic Games experience to the group.
 
“I qualified for Vancouver three weeks before the Games.” Cox said.
 
“I remember being there and was the baby of the team. I’d be in the Olympic village and it would be five thirty in the afternoon and everyone would say, ‘isn’t it your bed time’,” she said.

Australia’s Chef de Mission, Ian Chesterman opened proceedings at the team processing session, telling athletes the 2018 Olympic Winter Games will be first class.
 
“The local community in South Korea will really get behind these Games and make them a great experience for everybody,” Chesterman said.  
 
Chesterman said athletes would be provided an environment that would give them the best opportunity to ‘produce their best on the right day’.
 
“We’ve been working hard for a long time so that when you get out on your field of play you feel everything has gone as well as it could possibly go and you’ve had your chance to do your best on that day,” he said to the athletes.  
 
“Not everybody will win medals at the Olympic Games but everybody gets to go along and become an Olympian.
 
“We want to make your experience a positive one.”
 
“Once you are an Olympian, you’re always an Olympian. It’s a great badge to be able to wear throughout your life,” he said.