NSWIS two-time Olympic medallist Matt Graham has won the first World Cup moguls event since the Milano–Cortina Olympic Winter Games, claiming gold at the Japanese resort of Nanto‑Toyama for the sixth World Cup victory of his career.
 
In warm, soft snow conditions with rain falling, Graham qualified for the finals in fourth place with a score of 73.79. He improved in the opening finals round, posting 75.52 points to finish fifth and secure a place in the top-six super final.
 
Graham delivered his strongest run of the day in the super final, posting the highest score of the competition with 78.42 points to take victory. He finished ahead of American Landon Wendler by 0.21 points, with Japan’s Ikuma Horishima claiming bronze on 75.63 points.
 
The win moves Graham to 345 points on the World Cup standings, closing the gap to only 11 points behind Horishima with one single moguls event remaining. The final competition of the discipline will take place in Azerbaijan on March 14.
 
Fellow NSWIS skier and dual Olympic gold medallist Jakara Anthony also competed in the event, qualifying for the finals in second place. However, a mistake on the bottom jump in the finals saw her finish in 13th position.
 
Anthony remains at the top of the women’s World Cup standings on 360 points, tied with American Olivia Giaccio, who claimed victory..
 
Milano–Cortina Olympic Champion Cooper Woods is not competing in the final two World Cup events, in line with his plan to return home after the Olympic Games.
 
“It was really just a battle against ourselves and the mountain today, it was challenging and obviously with the weather, the snow was really soft and slushy, so it made it unpredictable and catchy,” said the 31-year-old Graham from the NSW Central Coast.
 
“I got a little caught up in my landing in the first round of finals, and I was thankful to get through and have another chance. I knew what I had to do, just needed to tidy everything up and land my jumps well, and happy with the way I did that.
 
“I am happy to be fighting for the World Cup title with Ikuma, he is such a great skier, and everybody knows how good he is, it’s a privilege to be up there fighting with him.”
 
A dual mogul event also took place in Japan, with Anthony the highest placed Australia making it through to the quarter-final stage finishing in eighth place and Matt Graham finishing 14th.
 
In the overall mogul standings, which incorporates both mogul and dual mogul events, both Anthony and Graham are ranked second in the world.
 
The World Cup final will decide the final Crystal Globe winners, and is currently scheduled to take place in Shahdag, Azerbaijan, with moguls on the March 14 and dual moguls on March 15.

Matt Graham has won a bronze medal as part of the ‘dad podium’ in Men’s Dual Moguls. 

It is Australia’s fifth medal in four days at Milano Cortina 2026 and the third Australian Moguls medal. 

Article courtesy olympics.com.au / Images Copyright Chris Hocking

In a day where there were a lot of crashes on course, Graham was consistent throughout the five rounds of racing, narrowly missing a spot in the Big Final after falling to Ikuma Horishima (Japan) in the semifinal 21-14. He defeated Japan’s Takuya Shimakawa in the bronze medal showdown 20-15 to collect his second Olympic medal, having won silver at PyeongChang 2018.

Horishima went on to take silver with moguls legend Mikael Kingsbury winning Canada’s first gold medal of the Games.

The trio have been competing against each other for years and were proud to share the ultimate ‘dad podium’, with all three eager to show their kids their medals in some of the most heartwarming scenes of the Games. 

“At the end of the day, I knew what was at stake before that last run because Mikael and Ikuma had already locked in their podium spots and me, being the third dad, I needed to execute to make sure we could fulfil that dream of having a ‘dad podium’,” Graham said.

“I was really happy with the way I skied and I knew when I crossed the line I was happy with the run and knew it would be hard to beat. When I saw the score come up, I was very relieved, a little bit shocked and also very satisfied.”

“It was just great to bounce back from the other day. It was a little bittersweet finishing fifth [in singles] and knowing that I could have done more, but today, the sun is shining, the course is skiing really well, I was just really happy to be able to just repeat run after run.”

Moguls is Australia’s most successful Winter Olympic sport with medals at five of the last six Games, with an incredible tally of four gold medals, two silver and Graham’s bronze.

The 31-year-old said it was especially significant to stand on the Olympic podium with his family watching on.

“It was so special at the end when I was about to step on the podium and I could see [wife] Jess and [daughter] Ada, my mum, dad and brother, and that made me tear up a little bit and it was a very emotional moment.”

It was a great showing for Australia with Moguls gold medallist Cooper Woods (13th), Jackson Harvey (11th) and George Murphy  (16th) joining Graham in the 1/8 final, meaning the Australians made up one quarter of the field.

Only Graham progressed into the quarterfinal and he continued to look strong all the way to the podium. He kept his form tight and clean as he showed some of the best turns in the field, particularly in his final run. Graham ripped the middle section, cleaned up his airs and the judges rewarded him with the bronze medal.

Winning his second Olympic medal exactly 20-years to the day since his mentor Dale Begg-Smith won gold in 2006, Graham attributed Australia’s Milano Cortina Moguls success to those that came before him, and the Team culture they’ve created.

“We have such a strong team and obviously the last few days have really shown how good we are – two gold and a bronze medal is pretty crazy in one small, little discipline of mogul skiing,” he said.

“I think it goes back to all the people of the past who started this sport in our country from the 90s.

“Then in the thousands, we had Dale Begg-Smith show us what's possible – winning the gold and a silver medal.

“And then, the likes of myself and Britt Cox in those early 2010s. Being able to get on World Cup podiums, and when I earned my silver in PyeongChang, I guess it sort of showed the likes of Jakara and Cooper that it is possible for an Australian-born to be really successful in this sport.

“And now, we've got such a good program behind us, and I’m just really proud of the whole team – from all the staff and all the athletes.”

While he couldn’t duplicate his gold medal performance from earlier in the week, Cooper Woods said he was thrilled to watch his teammate succeed.

“He’s the captain and the leader of our Team because he works the hardest and he deserves it more than anyone else,” Woods said.

“You know, if you’re not winning, you want your teammate to win.

“It’s been an incredible few days for our team.”

In a format where the skier only has to worry about the one opponent next to them – rather than the entire field – skiers were pulling out huge tricks and incredible speeds, resulting in a lot of crashes on the icy course.

“I was a little out of time the whole way. I got spat around in the course and chewed up and it almost spat me back out… I’m disappointed, but I still walk away with my head really high after the other day,” Woods said of his 1/8 final run.

Harvey defeated Goshin Fujiki (JPN) in his first dual 19-16, before Sweden’s Walter Wallberg ended his run in the round of 16 after a bumpy ride on the infamous blue course.

“I’m frustrated with the last one, only because I didn’t put down the run that I knew I could." Harvey said.

“I wanted to put down a run where I would showcase the technical skiing that I know I’m capable of, and I got a little caught up – that blue line is tough today.

“But it’s been a great week, I’m stoked to be in the top-16 and a lot to take away, so feeling happy.”

Olympic rookie Murphy had a fantastic opening dual, defeating Benjamin Cavet of France in the round of 32, which Murphy said was a highlight of his competition.

“I was happy with my first run, to take down Ben – he’s a real vet and top-five in the world – so that was huge,” he said.

“For my Games experience, I’ve just been enjoying it, sucking it in. It’s my first Games, so I can’t really expect too much, but I’ve really enjoyed it.

“To see Cooper and Jak win those medal, I mean, that’s history for Australia!”

​It’s a rare sight in elite sport to see an entire podium made up of athletes celebrating with their young children, but that’s exactly what unfolded in the Men’s Dual Moguls at Milano Cortina 2026. 

In some of the most heartwarming scenes of the Games, medallists Mikaël Kingsbury (CAN, gold), Horishima Ikuma (JPN, silver) and Australia’s Matt Graham (bronze) all jumped off the podium to embrace their partners and young children waiting at the finish zone. 

​Article courtesy olympics.com.au

It marks the third time the trio of fathers have shared a podium, repeating the exact order from the Engadin World Championships and the Almaty World Cup, both in March 2025. 

Four-time Olympian Graham said the group had joked about trying to recreate the moment at the Games. 

“Last year we hit it at a World Cup and we hit it at the World Championships and we sort of joked that it was possible,” Graham said. 

“But you’ve got so many other guys on tour who want the same thing, so it's very hard to do and very satisfying that we could achieve that. 

“We're doing it not for ourselves anymore, but for our families. It's really special to share that moment with two fellow dads, but also two very good friends.” 

The NSW Institute of Sport athlete acknowledged that none of his recent success would be possible without the incredible support of his family. Especially his wife, Jess, who often holds down the fort at home, but made the trip over to Livigno for the Games, with daughter, Ada. 

“We know the challenges and what it’s like to be a parent, especially in those early months and years of parenthood, but we know it’s the mothers who are the ones doing a lot of the hard work most of the time,” he said. 

“I’m really proud of my wife Jess and the way she’s carried our team over the last 18 months and had to deal with very challenging times and sleepless nights while I galivant around the world and ski moguls for the fun of it. 

“It was so special at the end when I was about to step on the podium and I could see Jess and Ada, my mum, dad and brother, and that made me tear up a little bit and it was a very emotional moment. 

“We know that while our kids probably won’t remember this moment, at some point, we’re going to look back at the videos and photos and realise how special this was.” 

Duals Moguls Olympic Champion Kingsbury agreed that becoming a parent has reshaped the thinking around his career. 

“[Matt and Ikuma] are two great humans and two amazing dads and it’s quite fun to share moments with them,” Kingsbury said. 

“Instead of talking about skiing, we talk about our kids that are almost all the same age. 

“It’s very special because we know what we went through in the last two years, you know some days are harder being a dad, but they give you strength.” 

Similarly, while Horishima was cheering for his Japanese teammate Shimakawa Takuya who was up against Graham in the small final, he said he was proud to be part of a moment that could help redefine what’s possible in mogul skiing. 

“I was quite happy that Matt won bronze, even though I was obviously cheering for the other Japanese athlete,” Horishima said. "Matt shared dad power and that made me very happy.  

"Mikael and I competed against each other in the big final, so it was one dad versus another. Obviously, competition and family are different. But in this moguls world, getting on the podium and having a family, this fact might change the image of moguls and change the sport of moguls itself." 

Graham noted that it wasn’t long ago that athletes continuing into their late twenties and thirties was unusual but evolving high-performance systems have shifted expectations to help keep top athletes involved in sport for longer. 

“Ten years ago, we probably wouldn't have ever thought it was possible, we probably didn't even think we're going to still be here – Mik’s 33 and I’m 31,” he said. 

“When I was young, no one really lasted that long in the sport so it's pretty cool to still be here and at the top of our games. 

“Scotty James in the halfpipe is also showing that – he’s getting better and he's the same age as me and he's a fellow father. 

“We've sort of been led by the likes of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Kelly Slater – all these guys who are just pushing themselves. The way sport science and recovery and all that works these days, it's allowed a lot of athletes to continue on.” 

As the ‘veteran’ of the Australian Moguls Team, Graham said he’s enjoyed taking on more of a leadership role this Olympic cycle. 

“I’ve tried to lead by example and push them all as much as I could. 

“They don’t like losing to a 31-year-old dad, that’s for sure, but I try to keep them behind me as much as I can, to keep the fire in them and they’re doing really well, there’s going to be a bright future for moguls in Australia. 

“And if I keep going, or if I don’t, we’ve got plenty of leaders in the team with the likes of Cooper and Jakara who are going to keep us going.” 

Mogul skier Cooper Woods has become Australia’s seventh Winter Olympic gold medallist.

The 25-year-old who had only once been on the moguls World Cup podium delivered a masterclass to come through today’s qualifiers and top the Olympic podium.  

Article courtesy olympics.com.au / Images Copyright Chris Hocking

“It’s something you dream of day in day out as a kid - through the hard days, through the good days. It’s an absolute journey,” Woods said.  

Woods dominated all day, topping Qualification 2 (80.46) before laying down a score of 83.60 to top the first final. That meant he was the final skier in the super final – for the first time in his career.  

“I kept telling my coach up there: I’ve got nothing to lose. Let's get stuck into it! 

“There's something when there's so much pressure, where you can just kind of let it all go and just kind of embrace it.” 

With all the pressure on, Woods produced an even better score of 83.71 to take the gold. Australian Team flag bearer and 2018 silver medallist 
Matt Graham
  (fifth) was the first to celebrate, lifting his teammate up high on his shoulders. 

“I've struggled with a lot of self-belief. I've had such a good year of training but not competing, and what a time to get it dialled and sorted, when the pressure is at its max,” Woods said. 

He finished with the same score as legendary Canadian Mikael Kingsbury, but Woods had the cleaner turns (48.4 to 47.7) to edge Kingsbury for gold. Another all-time great, Japan's Akuma Horishima rounded out the podium. 

Graham’s score of 80.88 put him in fifth. 
Jackson Harvey
 also reached the super final and finished in eighth with a score of 74.93. In the earlier qualification, 
George Murphy
 placed 29th. 

“It's not just my medal, it's a lot of other people's medal... My family, teammates, friends, staff. It's been an absolute journey,” the Cooper said.  

“To be skiing not just for myself, but for a lot of other people, brings a lot of pride.” 

Woods wins Australia’s 20th Winter Olympic medal and is our 18th Winter Olympic medallist. 

"Today was magic," Australian Winter Olympic Team Chef de Mission Alisa Camplin said.  

"It was just so special to watch. Cooper did three perfect runs - the judges were all about perfection and he was flawless in all three runs. I can't tell you how hard it is to be that consistent.  

"He's never been in the last position to go, let alone at the Olympic Games with the weight of the world - and he delivered the best possible result. 

"Cooper's always been a man that rises for the occasion. We saw him do that in Beijing 2022... and then he did it again.  

"There wasn't another man in the field that was flawless. Some people had a couple of harder jumps, but nobody else was flawless. Hats off to Cooper Woods." 

Four-time Olympian Graham said he was incredibly proud of his teammate, who he has been training alongside since Woods was 15. 

“To be up there, the last man standing, I just told him at the top that this is a privilege, make the most of it, turn by turn and just stay in the moment,” Graham said. 

“He did that to the best of his ability and he’s standing up there alongside two of the greatest mogul skiers of all time, and he’s on the top step. 

“I’m stoked for him – it's a win for our team, a win for the Australian Olympic Team, and a win for Australia.” 

Coming into the super final ranked third, Graham said he was proud of his own performance, but two small mistakes prevented him from joining Woods on the podium. 

“I made a little mistake on both landings which was unfortunate. If I had landed both those jumps, I believe I had enough to be in there with him and be competitive with those guys. 

“It was unfortunate, but I'm proud of myself – I went for it, skied really fast, did the two hardest tricks in the comp. Then to see my family, my daughter, at the finish was really special.” 

For Olympic debutant Jackson, it was his first ever time in a super final. 

“It’s still settling in, but I’m really proud of how I handled the day,” the 23-year-old said. “The last run got away from me a little bit, but in high pressure moments, that happens sometimes and I’m not going to beat myself up for it 

“I’m so proud of Coops and Matt, and George – the Aussies put on a damn good show!” 

The Australian Men’s Mogul Team will return for the Dual Moguls competition on Sunday 15 February. 

The Aussie Men’s Moguls quartet have launched their Milano Cortina 2026 campaigns in Livigno, with PyeongChang 2018 silver medallist Matt Graham securing an automatic place in the 20-skier final. 

While not fully satisfied with his run, the four-time Olympian’s experience shone through as he posted 75.77 to qualify in 10th and lock in his finals berth. 

Article courtesy olympics.com.au / Images Copyright Chris Hocking

“It was not my best… I just got a little out of time and out of rhythm in the middle section and then a little bit hung up on the last turn into the bottom air, so not my finest but a lot of room to improve,” the Aussie Flag Bearer said. 

Cooper Woods (15th), Jackson Harvey (23th) and George Murphy (26th) will all have another opportunity to qualify on Thursday. The top 10 athletes from Qualification 2 will join the top 10 from today’s Qualification 1 to complete the 20-skier final, before the field narrows to the top eight for the Super Final. 

For 23-year-old Olympic debutant Jackson Harvey, the day marked a major personal milestone. 

“It’s good to get that one out of the way, I was pretty nervous up at the start but it feels really good to be able to call myself an Olympian, finally,” he said. 

“I was a little shakier than usual, but I think that’s just the nature of big events like this. At the very least, I learnt something, gained some experience – you either win or you learn – so onto the next one. 

“I’ve got a day to rest tomorrow and have another crack.” 

Harvey fought his way back from missing the entire 2023/24 season after a serious knee injury that kept him off snow for 14 months, making his debut even more meaningful. 

“It means a lot, it’s been a journey and something I’ve dreamed of for a long time. The tough times and tribulation just makes it all the more sweeter. 

“It took a bit of grit to get through and to stay motivated, but I never wavered in my wanting to get back. 
​
“[Competing today] is the proudest moment of my life so far.” 

​IMAGE - Matt Graham launching off the bottom air
COPYRIGHT CHRIS HOCKING

​Defending Olympic Champion Jakara Anthony and four-time Olympian Matt Graham have been selected as the Australian Flag Bearers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony.
 
The 2022 gold medallist Jakara Anthony and 2018 silver medallist Matt Graham were named by Australian Winter Olympic Team Chef de Mission Alisa Camplin AM OLY at a Ceremony in Italy today.

Article courtesy olympics.com.au
 
Today Australia’s 16th and 17th Winter Olympic Team Flag Bearers are announced.  This is the ultimate recognition for athletes that exhibit the Australian characteristics of courage, perseverance and leadership.
 
For Jakara Anthony, who hails from Barwon Heads in Victoria, she enters her third Games ranked world number one. To carry the flag for the Opening Ceremony adds to an already historic season where she has now won more World Cup gold medals than any other Australian (26 in total).
 
“It's probably one of the biggest honours you can receive as an Olympic athlete. I'm still lost for words over it.
 
“Thinking back to growing up and seeing all the Flag Bearers that we've had for Australia, Summer and Winter, and to now get to stand alongside them and have that honour, it’s pretty mind-blowing.
 
“It's really special to share it with Matt, I've always looked up to him, he's four years ahead of me. I’ve seen a lot of milestones of Matt's career. I saw him win silver in PyeongChang 2018 and get his first Crystal Globe and I've been able to share the top step of the podium with him a couple of times and now we get to share this one, so we're really racking up the milestones together,” 27-year-old Anthony said.
 
Matt Graham won a silver in the Moguls at PyeongChang 2018. The ultimate Team man, he is recognised for the years of sustained excellence, competing and succeeding at the highest level of his sport.
 
“Representing Australia at an Olympic Games is an honour in itself and to now have the privilege to lead out, on paper, what's probably the best Team in the history of Australian Winter Olympics is very special.
 
“To do it alongside my teammate Jakara, we’ve had a lot of special memories together and this is another one for the books.” 31-year-old Graham said.
 
Announced at an official ceremony in the Northern Italian town of Livigno - home to Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard events during the Games - Anthony and Graham were popular and well-credentialled choices.
 
“I am thrilled to name Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham as our 2026 Australian Winter Olympic Team Flag Bearers,” Australian Winter Olympic Team Chef de Mission Alisa Camplin AM OLY said. 
 
“Jakara Anthony is the epitome of poise and excellence. Her measured yet dogged pursuit of perfection has set her apart from her competitors for an entire Olympiad. There are athletes in our Team who saw Jakara win gold in Beijing, and it sparked their Olympic dreams- and there will be many more. Jakara is in a league of her own. Role model, Olympic Champion and a young Australian who sets her sights on something and doesn't give up. I am so proud to name her Flag Bearer.
 
“Matt is a long-term leader in this Team and competes with sheer grit and sportsmanly grace. He has done it all - the hungry debutant in Sochi, the silver medallist in PyeongChang and an injury comeback for Beijing - on paper that's more than enough to become Flag Bearer. But what I love about Matt, is how he always lifts the Team and carries the Aussie spirit when he competes. He deservedly carries the Australian flag into the Milano Cortina Opening Ceremony.”
 
Milano Cortina is pioneering a new widespread Opening Ceremony, taking place in different locations on February 6 (local time).
 
San Siro Stadium in Milan is the focal point, with celebrations also taking place in Livigno - where Anthony and Graham will carry the flag - as well as Predazzo and Cortina, where delegations will parade in the areas of their respective competitions.
 
Camplin also invited four and five-time Olympians to march at the front of Australia’s delegations.
 
For the first time, two Cauldrons will be lit simultaneously - in Milano and Cortina.
 
The Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games start on February 6. Australians are expected to compete every day of the Games.

Jakara Anthony has rewritten Australian winter sports history, taking out her 26th World Cup victory with a commanding performance in Waterville Valley, USA, surpassing legendary aerial skier Jacqui Cooper on 25 wins to become Australia’s all‑time World Cup wins leader.
 
The NSWIS skier heads into the Milano‑Cortina Olympic Winter Games on a three‑event winning streak, and ranked number one on the World Cup standings as she prepares for February.
 
Anthony was the only female skier to break the 80-point barrier on the day, winning all three rounds of the event in a commanding performance. She opened with a score of 80.04 points in qualification, and in the first round of finals secured her place in the six woman super-final with 81.59 points.
 
In the super-final, Anthony performed another fast and clean run with her jumps including a cork 7 and backflip mute grab to score 81.17 points, 3.05 points ahead of second place finisher Elizabeth Lemley of the USA on 78.12. Another American, Olivia Giaccio, rounded out the podium in third on 76.60 points.
 
NSWIS teammate Charlotte Wilson also impressed, reaching the top‑16 women’s final and finishing 13th, her third finals appearance of the season.
 
In the men’s event, NSWIS pair Matt Graham and Jackson Harvey both qualified strongly for finals, placing third and eighth respectively with scores of 78.34 and 75.32. In the final, Harvey backed up his recent form with another top‑10 result, finishing eighth with 78.00 points. Unfortunately Graham was too big and back on his bottom air landing after skiing an excellent run to that point, leading to a score of 65.94 points to finish 16th.
 
“I guess I have a good track record here now,” said Anthony, who was a double winner in Waterville at her last event at the New Hampshire resort.
 
“It hasn’t been the easiest comp this week, and the season’s been all over the place. I’m just super stoked to put down a few really clean runs.
 
“It’s a nice place to leave the World Cup season on hold until the next one,” added Anthony, as she gets ready for next month’s Olympic Games.
 
Also in action were Aussies Emma Bosco finishing 23rd in the women’s event and in the men’s competition Cooper Woods was 22nd and George Murphy 42nd.
 
After four events, Anthony has extended her lead on the World Cup standings on 340 points, a 78‑point lead over the USA’s Tess Johnson. In the men’s rankings, Graham sits second on 245 points, trailing Japan’s Ikuma Horishima by 51 points, with Harvey rounding in tenth on 93 points.
 
The Australian Mogul Team will now travel to Ruka, Finland, for a training camp before heading to Italy for the Milano‑Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

Jakara Anthony celebrates her record setting victory (top) and in action in Waterville (bottom)
© Chris Hocking

NSWIS mogul skiers have started 2026 impressively, with Jakara Anthony winning gold and Matt Graham claiming silver in Val St. Come, Canada. Their second consecutive dual podium finish propels both athletes into the coveted yellow leader’s bib ranked number one on the standings, the first time Australia has simultaneously held the top ranking in both men’s and women’s moguls.
 
Wet conditions with poor visibility impacted the competition, reducing the women’s event to a single run, while the men’s event was delayed for several hours before proceeding with qualifying and a one-run final.
 
Anthony opened with a commanding run, scoring 79.83 points to ultimately give her the victory with a margin of close to four points ahead of American Tess Johnson in second place with 75.85. Fellow American Olivia Giaccio rounded out the podium in third with 75.78.
 
With this victory, Anthony now boasts 25 career World Cup wins, matching aerial skiing legend Jacqui Cooper for the most by any Australian athlete.
 
In the men’s event, Matt Graham qualified for the finals in fifth place with a score of 81.22, joined by teammate Jackson Harvey in 15th on 74.39.
 
Graham delivered a strong performance in the final, boosting his score to 83.50 to secure the silver medal, marking the 29th podium of his career. Harvey achieved a personal best, finishing seventh with 80.24 points. Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury claimed victory with 85.83, his 100th of his career, while American Nick Page rounded out the podium in third on 80.96.
 
“It was a different victory tonight, pretty weird competition day, but having put it down in qualifications worked out for me with finals cancelled,” said the 27-year-old Anthony-from Barwon Heads in Victoria.
 
“I find it pretty important to put down the best run that I can from round to round, with the goal to build throughout the day, so that’s just what I was out there doing.”
 
“Very exciting to be back in the yellow jersey, I haven’t worn that since the 2024-2025 season. Even more special to have Matt in the yellow jersey at the same time, I think that’s a first for Australia.”
 
Graham commented after his podium performance.
 
“Obviously a good day, really happy with the way I adapted given the conditions,” said the 31-year-old from the NSW Central Coast.
 
“It pretty much rained all day, with big delays before the qualification round. We had to sit around for two hours, and then buckle up to do the qualification round is always challenging, and at that point in time we were not sure if it would be a one run event or finals would happen, so had to lock in and put in a performance that would give me a good result.
 
“It was huge for Mikael Kingsbury to get his 100th World Cup win, I was glad I was able to share that moment with him, we have competed against each other for a long time and shared a lot of podiums together. Happy I have slowed him up from winning on three sperate occasions, but I am super happy for him and his family.
 
Also representing Australia were Charlotte Wilson, who narrowly missed the finals by just one spot in 17th, and Emma Bosco, finishing 27th. In the men’s competition, George Murphy placed 19th and Cooper Woods finished 21st.
 
Dual Mogul World Cup
The first dual moguls World Cup event of the season also took place in Val St Come, with Graham and Anthony both advancing to the quarter-final round. Graham finished fifth overall, while Anthony secured sixth place.
 
In other Australian results, Bosco placed 22nd and Wilson 27th in the women’s event. For the men, Woods finished 27th, Murphy 36th, and Harvey 46th.
 
The final World Cup events before the Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games will take place in Waterville Valley, USA, featuring moguls on January 15 and dual moguls on January 16.

IMAGE
Matt Graham and Jakara Anthony celebrate their podium performances in Canada
© Kate Blamey

NSWIS mogul skiers Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham have launched their Olympic campaign in perfect fashion, claiming a double gold medal overnight at the FIS World Cup in Ruka, Finland.
 
The achievement marks the second time Anthony and Graham have secured dual victories, having previously done so in Deer Valley in 2023, and only the third time in Australian history. Graham also shared the top of the podium with Britt Cox in Calgary back in 2017.
 
For Anthony, the win signals a triumphant return to World Cup competition, coming in just her second start since a collarbone injury in Sweden 12 months ago ending her 2024–2025 season early.
 
In the first round of finals, Anthony placed second with 78.54 points, before lifting her performance in the super-final medal round to score 79.89, securing her 24th career World Cup victory. She finished ahead of Americans Olivia Giaccio (78.64) and Jaelin Kauf (78.08).
 
Jindabyne 20-year-old Charlotte Wilson also impressed, making finals on both days in Ruka, finishing 13th today with 66.63 points and was 16th on day one after not being able to complete her fin in the final.
 
“It’s pretty special,” said the 27-year-old Anthony from Barwon Heads in Victoria.
 
“It’s probably nearly a year to the day of getting injured. I’ve been out since then, so this is a pretty special one.” 
 
She also made the super final a day earlier but ended in sixth place after not completing her run.
 
“Yesterday was a bummer, just didn’t quite nail that last one,” she said. “To get some redemption tonight is pretty special. Took a few learnings about how the course developed. Been a while since I skied a comp, so I had to remember that, and make those adjustments tonight.” 
 
In the men’s competition, Matt Graham bounced back from a near-podium finish on day one in fourth place to deliver one of the finest performances of his career on day two. Graham dominated all three phases to claim his fifth World Cup victory and first-ever gold in Ruka.
 
Graham topped the qualification round with 79.43 points, led the first final with 81.97, and sealed the gold in the super-final with 81.72 points. He finished ahead of Japan’s Ikuma Horishima, who scored 80.58, and Canada’s Julien Viel, who placed third with 79.30.
 
“It’s good to be putting down really good runs. The course was challenging, but really fun, and I’m just enjoying it,” said the 31-year-old Graham from the NSW Central Coast.
 
“To get a double gold with Jakara – it’s massive. We’re not a skiing nation. We’re a beach nation, so how the hell does this happen?” 
 
Also competing for Australia but missing finals were NSWIS teammates Jackson Harvey in 18th, Emma Bosco 20th with Cooper Woods and George Murphy unable to finish the course.

On the previous day Woods made finals in ninth, with Harvey 19th, Murphy 20th, Bosco 26th and Oliver Logan 26th, but was unable to compete on day two. 
 
The NSWIS team will remain in Ruka to continue training for a few more weeks, before the FIS World Cup tour shifts to North America in early January.

IMAGES COPYRIGHT CHRIS HOCKING

There is officially 100 days to go until the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, with Australia’s Moguls athletes this week returning to Brisbane’s world-class Geoff Henke Olympic Winter Training Centre, as part of the final training block ahead of Olympic qualification. 

While many of Australia’s Olympians and Olympic hopefuls are already overseas ahead of the start of the northern-hemisphere winter season, the Moguls team will depart Australia from next week for the last of the international competitions, with Olympic Team selection due to be finalised in late January. 

Australia’s Chef de Mission, Alisa Camplin-Warner was on hand to celebrate the milestone as well as see first hand how athlete preparations are tracking. 

“This is a very exciting moment in the lead up to the Milano Cortina Games. The vast majority of Australia’s winter athletes have either left or are about to leave the country, to enter the northern winter for pre-season training and competitions. 

“This final phase of readiness brings both anticipation and nerves. Every athlete is keen to get their best tricks, skills and strategy in place, before competing for vital quota places to qualify for Games selection.” said Ms Camplin-Warner.

“Seeing some of our athletes in action today, at our state-of-the-art training facility here in Brisbane fills me with pride. 
“We have an extremely hard working, focused and strong team, with some very experienced athletes setting the tone for a great Games.

“All going well in the competitive season ahead, this could be one of the largest, deepest and broadest Teams that we have ever sent to a Winter Olympic Games. I hope Australia will fully embrace the once in a generation magic that is this team.

“I wish all of our amazing and talented athletes the very best of luck for the season ahead, Australian’s everywhere can’t wait to see you in action, and I look forward to seeing you all in February at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games.”

Defending Olympic gold medallist, Jakara Anthony, is looking strong heading into the final 100 days, after making her way back from collarbone injury that she suffered during last year’s World Cup season. She said she’s excited to mark the 100 days to go milestone.

“I’m excited! The last three years have just flown by and it's been a bit of a mix of everything for me…a record breaking season in 2023/24 and then being injured and missing my first season last year. 

“Now 100 days out from the Games it’s pretty wild that it’s coming up so fast. But we’ve had some great training opportunities and we’ve got a lot more coming up along the qualifying period. So there’s lots more to happen between now and then but we’re all pretty ready for it,” she said. 

Triple Olympian Matt Graham, knows what it takes to be standing on the podium, taking the silver medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The 31 year old team veteran said the Geoff Henke Olympic Winter Training Centre has helped take the Aussies to a new level.

“I’ve been in the sport for a long time now and to watch it evolve from training and jumping into a swamp down on the outskirts of Melbourne, to now training here at the Geoff Henke Winter Olympic Training Centre in Brisbane, it’s game changing for us. 

“We’re fortunate enough that our local resorts down in the Snowy Mountains help us a lot, we train primarily down in Perisher. They provide one of the longest and steepest courses in the world which we get access to eight weeks a year during our winter,” he said. 

For 20 year old Charlotte Wilson, her sights are firmly set on making her Olympic debut in Milano Cortina.  The new Olympic discipline of dual moguls is one she has quickly built a reputation as ‘one to watch’, winning gold at the Olympic Test Event in Livigno earlier this year. 

“That was a pretty crazy experience (the Livigno Test Event) - I wasn’t even supposed to be there and found out I was competing on the plane ride over there. I was just taking it all as an experience, to see the Olympic course and really gear up for the qualification period this year.

“The gold medal has also given me a lot of confidence heading into next year, I'm really excited. I’ll take that confidence of knowing where I’m at and knowing I can be competitive,” she said. 

Cooper Woods is on track to qualify for his second Olympic Games after making his debut at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.  He is excited for the opportunity to this time compete in front of family, friends and fans. 

“To have family and friends at the next Winter Olympics is going to be absolutely insane. I’ve only got one experience, and that’s at the Beijing Olympics and there was no one there except our staff and our team mates. As winter sports athletes it's very hard for our family and friends to travel the world.

“Also to have the European Training Centre in Verase as a base in the lead up to the Games, to have Aussies in the crowd is going to be amazing and I can’t wait for it,” he said. 

Alongside the men’s and women’s dual moguls making its Olympic debut in Milano Cortina, three more new events will also debut across existing sports including Skeleton Mixed Team, Luge Women’s Doubles  and Women’s Large Hill Ski Jumping.

A new sport on the schedule will be Ski Mountaineering (Ski Mo) with three new events - men’s sprint, women’s sprint and mixed team relay.

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be held from 6-22 February in Milano Cortina.  For more information, click here. 

NSWIS skier Matt Graham has claimed Australia’s first medal at the 2025 FIS Freestyle and Snowboard World Championships, winning bronze in a courageous performance in the iconic Swiss resort St Moritz, where three of the top four men suffered heavy crashes in a wild semi-final round of championship mogul skiing.
 
Graham now has five World Championship medals in his remarkable career, the most of any Australian winter sports athlete, surpassing snowboarder Scotty James, who will be aiming to join Graham on five podiums next week in St Moritz.
 
The opening event at the World Championships was the single moguls, where Graham showed he was in strong form advancing through to the top-eight super final. Graham was in contention for a medal, but a mistake just before the finish line saw the 2018 Olympic medallist finish in fifth place. Joining Graham in finals was NSWIS teammate Cooper Woods in ninth, missing the super-final by one place, George Murphy 22nd and Jackson Harvey was 28th.
 
In her World Championship debut, Charlotte Wilson qualified for the eight-woman medal round super final and finished seventh in her World Championship debut. Also on debut and just missing the final cut for top 20 was Emma Bosco.
 
In the dual moguls competition, Graham advanced through the early rounds with a 19-16 victory over Sweden's Robin Olgaard in the round of 16, followed by a 23-12 win against Mateo Jeannesson of Great Britain in the quarter-finals.
 
In the first semi-final, Graham went head-to-head with legendary Canadian skier Mikael Kingsbury in a thrilling duel. Both athletes pushed themselves to the absolute limit, but just before the bottom jump, Graham lost a ski at high speed, causing him to cartwheel down the course. After this setback, Kingsbury advanced to the big final and Graham to the small final and the opportunity for the bronze medal.
 
The second semi-final saw Japan's Ikuma Hiroshima and Sweden's Filip Gravenfors both crash heavily across the finish line, Hiroshima was the skier to advance to the gold medal match up but was injured and unable to compete further.
 
In the small final, Graham's opponent Gravenfors pushed out of the start gate but could not continue due his semi-final crash, Graham completed the course in a solo run to claim the bronze medal, while Hiroshima's withdrawal from the final race off duel gave Kingsbury the gold medal.
 
“It was probably one of the hardest earned podiums of my career” said the 30-year-old Graham from the NSW Central Coast.
 
“After a big crash last week in Livigno and not knowing if I would be able to compete, to keep skiing the way I did today and get down the run, then having a big crash in the semi-final against Mikael rattled everything a little bit. Fortunately, I was able to ski to the bronze medal.”
 
“It’s a good way to cap off the season, it’s been long, lots of ups and downs, my third dual podium for the year is unreal, and also another “Dad Podium”, this time at the World Championships is pretty special with Ikuma and Mikael. I hope both Ikuma and Filip are ok from their crashes.”
 
“The course was challenging, it was icy at the start of the day, and consequently the top air landing and first five turns got trashed. On paper the course wasn’t that tricky but there were a few little technical elements to it.”
 
“Heading into the small-final I didn’t know what state Filip was in. He is a crazy duals skier, I was in a lot of pain myself and just wanted to get down the run and be in one piece, so I was just willing to ski my run and whatever happened, happened. I didn’t realise he was inured or sore, it wasn’t until I landed the top jump, and I couldn’t hear him or sense him that I knew I was in the clear, but I didn’t realise he pushed out and slipped his way down the course.”
 
“Our team is really close, they are my second family, also having my mum and dad here was special, it was a little bittersweet given the circumstances, and I was in shock to be honest when I crossed the line, so I broke down a little and got a bit emotional.”
 
Also competing for Australia in the final event of the moguls skiing competition season were Cooper Woods in eighth place, Charlotte Wilson 15th, Emma Bosco 17th, Jackson Harvey 18th and George Murphy 23rd.

Mogul skier Charlotte Wilson has stunned the FIS World Cup circuit, claiming her first career victory in the dual mogul’s event on the site of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, next February.

Wilson sets the record for the fewest amount of starts by an Australian mogul skier to win World Cup gold, in just her tenth start of her rookie season competing at the highest level. Wilson is only the third Australian female mogul skier to win a World Cup event, following in the footsteps of World Champion Britt Cox and Olympic Champion Jakara Anthony.

Just a day after she was named FIS World Cup Mogul Skiing Rookie of the Year and placed eighth in the single moguls competition, the NSWIS skier started the dual moguls strongly, defeating world number four Canadian Maia Schwinghammer 18 to 17 in the round of 32. Next, Wilson defeated world number three Rino Yanagimoto of Japan in the quarter-finals 23 to 12 to set up a semi-final matchup with 2018 Olympic Champion and world number two Perrine Lafont of France.

In the semi-final, Wilson won a close dual against the French champion 18-17, to advance to the gold medal dual with current world number one Jaelin Kauf of the USA.

Wilson continued her incredible form against the American, winning 22-13 for the first podium and victory of her career.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet, this is an incredible day and an incredible feeling. I spoke earlier about wanting that momentum from yesterday to carry on and I really think it did today” said the 20-year-old from the NSW Snowy Mountains.

“I was just trying to do my run today, blinkers on and put down the best run I could, I knew I would have to really push the speed today and I obviously managed to do that.

“It’s a good confidence boost leading into next year, top-10 yesterday and a win today, the next 11 months are going to be tough and hard work, but I really like the venue and next year is going to be awesome.”

In the men’s event Cooper Woods had his best finish of the season finishing in fifth place, pushing Olympic gold medallist and World Cup wins record holder Mikael Kingsbury in his quarter-final, beating the Canadian across the line, but a stumble cost him on the last turn and the judges awarded the win to Kingsbury 22-13.

Olympic medallist Matt Graham was unable to compete in the dual moguls after a crash the day prior in the single moguls super-final. Graham went to hospital for precautionary scans which came back negative for any damage.

Graham was in great form before the crash, qualifying for finals in third place, and in the first round of finals finished fifth to advance to the six man super-final. Graham was unable to complete his super-final run, he finished sixth overall.

Graham recovered well from the crash and plans to compete in his seventh FIS World Championships in St Moritz, Switzerland, the final event of the season.

The moguls event in St Moritz will take place on March 19 and dual moguls on March 21.

Joining Graham, Woods and Wilson in St Moritz will be Jackson Harvey, George Murphy, Jakara Anthony (TBC), Emma Bosco, and Lottie Lodge.

NSWIS skier Matt Graham has claimed the 27th World Cup podium of his career in Almaty, Kazakhstan, after capturing bronze in the dual moguls.
 
The 2018 Olympic silver medallist, Graham, shared a historic moment with fellow skiers Mikael Kingsbury and Ikuma Horishima on the first ever mogul skiing “dad podium,” as all three medallists became first time fathers just prior to the 2024-2025 season.
 
In the match up for the bronze medal, Graham defeated Korean Daeyoon Jung 22 to 13, his second dual mogul podium of the season. Canadian Mikael Kingsbury was victorious 21-14 in the gold medal dual over Ikuma Horishima of Japan.
 
“It’s great to be back on the podium. We have been knocking on the door to have the dad podium all season. Two times we have finished 1-2-4, so to get 1-2-3 is pretty awesome,” said the 30-year-old Graham from the NSW Central Coast.
 
“I was feeling the pressure a little at the top, it was running through my head, but I had to tell myself to land the top air, ski a run and let it happen from there in the final dual.
 
“I am really fit and healthy at the moment, the body is feeling great, so I am looking forward to going to Livigno and checking out the (2026 Olympic) course there and then finishing off at the World Championships (in St Moritz).
 
NSWIS teammate Cooper Woods also performed well finishing in seventh place, after losing to eventual winner Kingsbury in the quarter-finals, while teammates Jackson Harvey was 19th, George Murphy 21st and Oliver Logan 34th.
 
With two World Cup events remaining, Matt Graham is ranked third overall in the combined mogul standings, sixth in single moguls and fourth in dual moguls.
 
Both final World Cup events of the season will take place at the 2026 Olympic venue in Livigno, Italy, with moguls on March 11 and dual moguls on March 12.

NSWIS 2018 Olympic medallist Matt Graham has continued his strong form, just missing the podium in the moguls event with a fourth-place finish at the World Cup in Beidahu, China. Graham also had a second top-10 in the dual moguls on day two of competition, placing sixth.
 
Graham and NSWIS teammate Cooper Woods both qualified for finals in second and eighth place, scoring 78.66 and 76.70 points respectively.
 
In the first round of finals, Graham stepped up his run to score 81.41, placing him through to his first super-final of the season in fifth. Unfortunately Woods was unable to progress finishing 16th.
 
Graham stepped it up again in the super-final, this time scoring 83.65, to fall just short of the podium by 0.14 points.
 
In first place was Ikuma Horishima of Japan, 86.57, Canadian Mikael Kingsbury was second on 85.91 and Filip Gravenfors of Sweden third with 83.79.
 
NSWIS skiers George Murphy was 30th, Jackson Harvey is his return from injury34th and Oliver Logan 36th.
 
Dual Moguls: Quarter-Finals for Graham
Graham advanced through to the quarter-final round in the dual moguls, finishing in sixth.
 
Graham had victories over Korean Yoonseung Lee in the round of 32 and Canadian Sam Cordell in the round of 16 to set up a quarter final match against Nick Page of the USA.
 
In a close quarter final duel, Graham unfortunately lost to the American 20 to 15.
 
Fellow NSWIS skiers Cooper Woods and Jackson Harvey both made it through to the round of 32, finishing in 17th and 32nd place respectively, George Murphy was 39th and Oliver Logan 40th in the round of 64.
 
Finish skier Severi Vierela claimed his first career victory, Horishima was second and Viel of Canada third.
 
With double World Cup events remaining in Almaty, Kazakhstan (February 28 and March 1), and the Olympic test event in Livigno, Italy (March 11 and 12), Graham is currently ranked sixth in single moguls, fourth in dual moguls and fourth overall on the combined Mogul standings.

Matt Graham flying down the China bumps
© Taro Tampo

Olympic medallist Matt Graham has skied to the 26th World Cup podium of his impressive career, following a silver medal performance in the dual moguls in Waterville Valley, USA.
 
Graham showed great form throughout the day, making his way through the earlier rounds with ease before winning difficult match ups against Frenchman Benjamin Cavet in the quarter finals 20 to 15, and a super close semi-final victory over Ikuma Horishima of Japan 18 to 17.
 
In the big final Graham faced legendary Canadian Mikael Kingsbury, and in a close duel right to the finish line Kingsbury prevailed 21 to 14, extending his record for the most ever wins for a freestyle skier to 94. Rounding out the podium in third place was Filip Gravenfors of Sweden who defeated Horishima for the bronze.
 
“It is nice to be on the podium for the first time this season” said the 30-year-old Graham from the NSW Central Coast.
 
“Duals is always a long challenging day, a lot of top-to-bottoms at crazy fast speeds, at the start of the day I was just happy to get through to the finals, and once they came around it was just full send from there.
 
“I have felt like all of the pieces have been there, but it just hasn’t stuck yet, making a few mistakes in the previous events, so it was nice to have some solid skiing today, especially this week after battling the flu and bedridden two days ago with chronic fevers and still feeling under the weather yesterday was pretty rewarding.”
 
Also in action were fellow NSWIS skiers  Oliver Logan in 27th, Cooper Woods 30th, Edward Hill 32nd, George Murphy 35th and women Charlotte Wilson 18th, Lottie Lodge 31st, Lucy Pernice 34th and Emma Bosco 35th.
 
Next weekend the mogul skiers compete at the World Cup event in Val St.Come, Canada, with moguls on February 1 and dual moguls February 2.

19-year-old NSWIS skier Charlotte Wilson has skied to an impressive fifth place in just her third World Cup start in Waterville Valley, USA, the birthplace of freestyle skiing.
 
Wilson qualified for finals in sixth place with a score of 71.51 points, and in the first round of finals improved to score 71.87 and remain in sixth place, which advanced her to the first World Cup super-final of her career.
 
In the top-six super-final, Wilson improved again with a faster run which scored 73.88, to give her a fifth pace personal best result.
 
In the men’s event NSWIS teammates Matt Graham and Cooper Woods both qualified for finals in fifth and tenth place respectively. In finals, Graham was unlucky not to make the super-final finishing in eighth place, with Woods 13th.
 
In the qualification round George Murphy was 32nd, and Oliver Logan 57th. Making their World Cup debut’s Lottie Lodge was 23rd, Emma Bosco 27th, Lucy Pernice 40th, Edward Hill 56th, and Xanthia Coote did not finish.

The final mogul skiing World Cup events of the calendar year took place in Bakuriani, Georgia, where Olympic silver medallist Matt Graham led the way finishing in seventh place in the single moguls and sixth in the dual moguls.
 
Competing on a challenging 280m long course with an average pitch of 28 degrees, the NSWIS skier qualified for finals in second place, with his teammate Cooper Woods also joining him in the 16-man-final in 11th place. Oliver Logan missed finals in 32nd place.
 
In finals, Graham just fell short of advancing to the six-man super final in seventh place with a score of 77.97, missing out by only 0.20 points. Woods finished 15th in the final after scoring 68.33.
 
Victory in the single moguls went to Benjamin Cavet of France, with Mikael Kingsbury of Canada in second and Finish skier Severi Vierela in third.
 
In the dual moguls event in Bakuriani, Graham was again the highest placed Australian, this time finishing in sixth place after making it through to the quarter-final round.
 
Graham had wins against Kosuke Sugimonto of Japan (23 to 12) in the round of 32, Robin Olgaard of Sweden (20 to 15) in the round of 16 setting up a quarter-final round showdown against day one winner Benjamon Cavet of France.
 
Unfortunately Graham lost to the Frenchman 21 to 14, giving hm a final ranking of sixth, with his NSWIS teammates Cooper Woods 34th and Oliver Logan 36th.
 
The winner of the dual moguls event was Walter Wallberg of Sweden, Cavet of France in second, and another Swede Filip Gravenfors in third.
 
No female skiers represented Australia in Bakuriani, with Olympic gold medalist Jakara Anthony out injured, and Charlotte Wilson returning to Australia as planned. Wilson will rejoin the World Cup circuit at the next stop in Waterville Valley, USA, on January 24-25.

Matt Graham (left) vs Benjamin Cavet (right) in a closely contested quarter-final
© FIS Freestyle

Jakara Anthony has claimed her first victory of the 2024-2025 season in the moguls event in the Swedish resort of Idre Fjäll, the 23rd World Cup victory of her incredible career.

The reigning NSWIS World Cup Champion improved as the event went on, qualifying for finals in second with a score of 77.39, and then won the first round of finals on 80.36, ensuring Anthony would be the final skier for the event in the super-final medal round.

Anthony then found another gear for the super-final, posting her highest score of the season from the judges with 82.94 points, to finish 2.05 points ahead of rival Perrine Laffont of France on 80.89 with Canadian Maya Schwinghammer in third with 80.71.

Joining Anthony in the women’s final was 19-year-old Charlotte Wilson, who had an impressive qualifying run in just her second World Cup start, advancing to the final in sixth place with a score of 72.84 points, giving Wilson the record for the least amount of starts to qualify for a World Cup final by an Australian female mogul skier.

Wilson finished in tenth place in the final with a score of 69.75 points, the first World Cup top-10 of her career.

“It feels good to finish up in first place” said the 26-year-old Anthony from Barwon Heads in Victoria.

“I don’t think there was any more pressure than any other competition, I know what I am trying to achieve every time, I am competing against the other girls but kind of just competing against myself in a way.”

After two events, Anthony and Laffont are both ranked number one on the standings sharing the yellow leaders bib with 180 points.

In the men’s event, Matt Graham qualified for finals in fifth place and finished 11th in the final missing out on the top-six super final.

Also in action for Australia were Oliver Logan and Cooper Woods, with the 21-year-old Logan recording a personal best World Cup performance in 26th place, with Woods in 30th.

The men’s event was won by Canadian Mikael Kingsbury, with Ikuma Horishima of Japan in second and local Swedish skier Walter Wallberg finishing third.

A dual mogul event was also scheduled to take place in Idre Fjäll the following day, but was cancelled due to bad visibility.

The World Cup tour was originally scheduled to compete next weekend in Alpe d'Huez, France, but was cancelled due to low snow, so the next competition will take place in Bakuriani, Georgia, on December 20-21.

Australian mogul skier Jakara Anthony has started the 2024-2025 FIS World Cup season with a silver medal performance overnight in Ruka, Finland.
 
The podium result is the 42nd medal of her incredible career, and now holds the record for the most ever World Cup podiums by an Australian winter sports athlete, eclipsing the previous record of 41 held by aerial skier Kirstie Marshall.
 
In the super-final medal round, Anthony put down a strong run scoring 80 points from the judges but was narrowly outscored by French skier Perrine Laffont on 81.13, with American Olivia Giaccio rounding out the podium in third place with 76.95 points.
 
“Pretty happy with what we have been able to achieve walking away with a second place at the start of a super long season, it’s a great way to kick it off” said the 26-year-old from Barwon Heads in Victoria.
 
“Breaking the record for the most World Cup medals is an impressive stat, I never find out about these things until I have broken it, that’s a cool one and another accolade, super proud of me and my team and how we have been able to go about completing that, it’s been a big journey, there is still a long way to go and we will be looking to rack up a few more this season.
 
“Over the week that the course has been up here in Ruka we have kind of had every condition that’s possible from pretty big soft bumps to little icy ones, so have had to use all sorts of skills out there, but pretty lucky we have been able to work it out.
 
“It’s great to have so many chicks up that top end of the sport, that’s what makes it exciting, we are all going out there each day fighting for that top spot, which means we are all pushing each other and we have seen the sport progress a lot over the past four years.”
 
In the men’s event, Matt Graham and Cooper Woods qualified for finals in third and ninth place respectively, but in the final missed out on advancing to the top-six super final in 10th and 13th place.
 
Canadian Mikael Kingsbury finished in first place, with Walter Wallberg of Sweden in second, with third place going to Ikuma Horishima of Japan.
 
Also in action for Australia was Charlotte Wilson who finished in 20th place in her World Cup debut and in the men’s event Oliver Logan finished in 44th with George Murphy recording a did not finish.
 
Next weekend the World Cup mogul skiing tour moves to Sweden for a single and dual mogul event on December 6 and 7.

Jakara Anthony’s unstoppable form continued with her 13th victory of the season in the dual moguls event in Almaty, Kazakhstan, extending the total for the most ever wins in a season by a mogul skier, and so claiming all three World Cup Crystal globes with one event remaining next week in Italy. Anthony recorded back-to-back wins in Kazakhstan after the previous day’s record-breaking single moguls competition.

The NSWIS skier cruised through the early rounds of the event to reach the big final against world number two Jaelin Kauf of the USA. In a close final with both skiers neck-and-neck throughout the run, Anthony prevailed with a score of 18 to 17, giving the 2022 Olympic champion the 21st victory of her impressive career and now only three wins behind aerial skiing legend Jacqui Cooper who leads all Australian winter sport athletes with 24 career World Cup victories.

“That’s a few back-to-back wins for the season now, we are getting to the end of the season now, this was our 15th event, so to be able to keep bring that week after week I am really proud of that”, said the 25-year-old from Barwon Heads in Victoria.

“Being the top seed in duals means you switch lines every dual round, and I have been lucky to be the top seed most of the season, so I am quite confident at it now, but it was a bit rattling at the start of the season, so it’s really good training for me.”

“We have one more start next week in Valmalenco, and then it’s season done.”

In the men’s event, NSWIS teammate Matt Graham reached the quarter-final stage, finishing in ninth place after losing a narrow dual to eventual bronze medallist American Landon Wendler in a score of 17-18. Canadian Mikael Kingsbury claimed the victory, with Pavel Kolmakov of Kazakhstan in second place.

The mogul skiers l now head to Italy for the final World Cup of the season in Valmalenco, Italy, competing in a dual mogul event. In Valmalenco the Crystal Globes for dual moguls and overall moguls will be presented, where Anthony has an unbeatable lead in the rankings.

NSWIS skier Jakara Anthony’s unbelievable form has continued with her 12th World Cup victory of the 2023-2024 season in Almaty, Kazakhstan, breaking the record for the most wins in a single season by a mogul skier. Also joining Anthony on the podium was NSWIS teammate Matt Graham in the men’s event with a bronze medal performance.

The previous record of 11 wins was set by legendary American Olympic Champion mogul skier Hannah Kearney during the 2011-2012 season, and has the opportunity to further extend her total with two dual mogul events remaining.

Anthony also received the Crystal Globe as the World Cup champion in the single moguls discipline for the second straight year, after winning a remarkable seven of eight events in that discipline and now has 20 career World Cup victories.

In a commanding performance, Anthony won every stage of the competition to advance to the super-final medal round, scoring 82.74 points to comfortably take the victory 6.57 points ahead of American Alli Macuga of the USA in second place on 76.17, with her teammate Hannah Soar in third with 73.84.

”Today was pretty phenomenal, I can finally talk about that record 12 wins in one season, the most ever by a mogul skier, and to finally get the Crystal Globe in my hand for the first time in person is a pretty special feeling”, said the 25-year-old from Barwon Heads in Victoria.

“Crystal Globes are so hard to come by as you have to ski so consistently all season, to get another one I never dreamt of this.”

“We have a dual moguls event here tomorrow, and then one next week in Valmalenco, Italy, so have a bit more skiing to do. Duals is a different game but it’s going to be in the next Olympics in Milan in 2026, so I am looking forward to getting some more volume competing in that discipline and learning some new skills I can take there.”

In the men’s event, Matt Graham had his second medal performance of the season and 25th podium of his career after finishing in third place. Graham scored 80.81 points in the super final to finish behind event winner Mikael Kingsbury of Canada on 84.49, with Ikuma Horishima of Japan in second place with 83.48 points.

“This course here suits me a lot, and I was able to put my high degree of difficulty down with a back double full and cork 1080 run together, which I haven’t done too often, and moving forward into the next Olympic campaign that’s the goal for me and compete with the likes of Ikuma and Mikael“, said the 29-year-old from the NSW Central Coast.

Jakara Anthony’s incredible record-breaking season has continued with her eleventh World Cup victory of the season in the dual moguls event in Deer Valley, USA. The win also secured the World Cup Mogul Skiing Overall Crystal Globe at the iconic event, regarded as the “Superbowl” of freestyle skiing as and most prestigious competition on the World Cup circuit.

Anthony has broken the record for most career mogul skiing wins by an Australian with the 19th victory of her career, going past legendary two-time Olympic medallist Dale Begg-Smith. The eleventh win of the season also ties American Olympic champion Hannah Kearney for the most World Cup wins in a single season by a mogul skier.

In front of the largest crowd of the season under lights on the Champion run, Anthony cruised through the round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final rounds to reach the big final.

In the gold medal run, Anthony faced her main rival this season, American Jaelen Kauf, where Anthony putting down a fast and flawless run to take the win with a score of 22 points to 13 from the judges. In head-to-head duals against Kauf this season, Anthony has the edge with four to one.

Rounding out the podium in third place was Olivia Giaccio.

”That’s definitely one of my best competition runs I have ever done, and especially my best here on the Champion run, so to do that in the big final against Jaelin was a pretty special moment” said the 25-year-old from Barwon Heads in Victoria.

“There is no event World Cup like this one, the atmosphere is incredible, the whole finish area is packed with people so to get to perform and put on a show for them is a really special feeling.”

“Locking up eleven wins and equalling Hannah Kearney for the record for the most in the season is absolutely mind blowing.”

Cooper Woods was the highest placed Australian in the men’s event, reaching the quarter-final stage in seventh place, with George Murphy 33rd, Oliver Logan 36th and Matt Graham in 51st.

Three World Cup events remain this season, with the next competition set to take place in a months’ time in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on March 8-9, and the final event of the season in Valmalenco, Italy, on March 16.

“It’s a really big season for us this year, we have already had 13 competition starts with three to go. We are going to get a training camp in the next few weeks, and fine tune some of the finer details of my run, and then get back out there in Kazakhstan and wrap the season up in Italy,” said Anthony.

SINGLE MOGUL WORLD CUP
Two days earlier in Deer Valley, a single moguls World Cup took place on the "Champion Run", where unusually warm temperatures impacted the conditions, with the wet snow making the difficult course inconsistent and slow.

NSWIS skier Matt Graham recorded the best result of the Australian athletes, finishing ninth while with teammate Cooper Woods was unable to finish his finals run and  a ranking of 16th. George Murphy had his second best performance of the season in 23rd place, and Oliver Logan was 35th.

After dominating the qualification phase of the competition by almost 10 points, Olympic Champion Jakara Anthony made an uncharacteristic mistake in finals. The course got slower on the top jump, causing a miscalculation on the rotation for her d-spin 720 with grab and came in short on the landing to place 13th.

Early Sunday morning Jakara Anthony continued her incredible record breaking season with her tenth World Cup victory of the season in the dual moguls event in Waterville, USA.

Anthony now joins legendary Olympic champion and two-time medallist Dale Begg-Smith with 18 career World Cup victories, the most ever by an Australian mogul skier.

In overcast conditions the NSWIS skier cruised through the early rounds of the event to reach the semi-final stage against American Tess Johnson, where Anthony recorded a comfortable win 32 points to 3.

Anthony then faced her main rival this season, American Jaelen Kauf in the gold medal run, and in a close battle Anthony narrowly prevailed with a score of 18-17 to give the 2022 Olympic gold medallist her eighth straight victory in a row.

Rounding out the podium in third place was Olivia Giaccio who is also from America.

”It was really cool to come to Waterville, I haven’t been to too many brand new places on tour recently, so get to come to somewhere new and experience it has been really awesome, and I love competing in the United States,” said the 25-year-old from Barwon Heads in Victoria.

In the men’s event NSWIS athlete Cooper Woods made it through to the quarter final stage to finish in seventh place, with teammates George Murphy in 29th, Oliver Logan 39th and Matt Graham 46th.

The mogul skiing athletes now head to Deer Valley in the USA, for another single and dual mogul event next weekend on the always testing “Champion Run” at the 2002 Olympic venue.

Anthony is one win away from equalling 2010 Olympic champion Hannah Kearney of the USA for the most ever wins in a season by a mogul skier, which the American achieved in the 2011-2012 World Cup season.

“Deer Valley is always the highlight of the season for everyone, so really looking to that,” said Anthony.

“They put on a good show there and it’s one of my favourite courses. It’s where I got my first World Cup start, my first World Championship podium and I had a win there last year, so looking forward to getting back there.”

“It’s been a crazy season, one win off that record set by Hannah Kearney, it’s getting close now, we will have to see what the rest of season brings, but I won’t be focusing on that too much, that’s when I might start making mistakes, so keep focusing on what I need to do out there and get better every competition.”