Expectations might carry a lot of weight for aspiring athletes, yet for Mogul Skiing World Champion and Crystal Globe winner Britt Cox, training and competing at her best comes as second nature and is a welcome challenge the already two-time Olympian readily accepts.

On the record multiple times for saying that her inspiration lies in wanting to be a better skier “next week and the week after”, the 23-year-old also has a few role models whose achievements propelled a very young Britt Cox to be the best she can be.

From Mt Beauty in the Victorian alpine region, Cox’s first major event as a young child in 2003 was memorable, not least because she won, but also because she was motivated by the Olympic gold medal performance of Aerial Skier Alisa Camplin.

“When I was seven I remember watching Alisa win gold at the 2002 Olympics. That was hugely inspiring to me,” Cox recalled earlier this year.

“The next year (2003) was my first ever interschools and we were next to the Aerials site at Mt Buller, where Alisa and the Aerials team were training. I won my first interschools mogul competition that day.

“After my race, I waited at the top of the lift so Alisa could sign my result sheet. I’ll never forget that. Alisa has been a role model for me and over the years, I’ve got to know her.”

Graeme Cox still remembers his daughter’s first win more than fourteen years ago.

“Britt was eight (years-of-age) in August 2003. I was standing there with Steve Lee (Olympic skier). Britt and Steve’s daughter Layla were in the comp. As soon as we saw Britt’s run we knew that was the run that would take comp,” he recalled clearly.

Graeme Cox, who was then a moguls coach and is now the Winter Sports Director at the Snow Sports School in Falls Creek with around twenty coaches working for him in all snow disciplines, knows what he is watching.

“At the time, I was just happy that she was enjoying herself. I do remember Britt wanting to go autograph hunting. She’d already been to the presentation and she had a copy of her results sheet and went over to wait,” he said.

The respect and admiration goes both ways between Camplin and Cox.

Camplin, an Olympic gold and bronze medallist who will join the 2018 Australian Olympic Team as its Performance Manager, was very moved when reminded about the very young Britt Cox waiting for her at the top of the lift on Mt Buller in 2003.

“Britt makes my heart melt,” an emotional Camplin said on recognising how important the interaction had been.
“I’m just one of many in the winter sport community who have watched Britt grow up. It’s been easy to respect, admire and want good things for Britt because she does all the right things.

“She’s in the gym, communicates openly and honestly, is grateful, appreciative and open-minded – the list goes on.
“Britt is always hungry to be better and is humble and kind in the process.

“We hope to see her effort turn into the outcome she wants. She’s an experienced young lady now and it’s easy to respect her.”

Camplin has swapped a media role for a voluntary Performance Manager position at PyeongChang 2018.

“I had a great experience in two Olympic Games (as an athlete) that led to a wonderful outcome and then two Olympics on the media side,” she said.

“I’m now inside the team and want to help create the high performance environment and the greatest chance of success.

“I realise how important support was (to the athletes). I recognised it back then and I want to be able to give back, by providing that support for our current and future athletes.

“It’s a chance to help other athletes fulfil their dreams.”

The 43-year-old is no stranger to the high performance environment. Her strengths and experiences now see the dual Olympic medallist as Deputy Chair of the Australian Sports Commission and on the Boards of the Olympic Winter Institute Australia and Collingwood Football Club.

“Being an elite athlete is like having a deep level of inner trust and inner belief and that’s what allows Britt to achieve her ultimate potential. The results take care of themselves,” she said.

Camplin is excited about her role as Performance Manager next February.

“It’s energising to meet the athletes (again). There is such a positive culture around the winter athletes. Everyone is focussed on the right thing and there is open communication. To know all of this is happening before PyeongChang instils a lot of confidence,” she said.

For Britt Cox, who is approaching her third Olympics at just 23-years-of-age, the final push towards PyeongChang has begun with the OWIA and NSWIS mogul skiers now training in Ruka, Finland ahead of the season’s first World Cup on December 9.

As a seasoned international athlete, Cox is well accustomed to being away from home for many months at a time.
“Living away from home from so young, I had to learn to be independent,” she said.

Compared to others her age, Britt says she, “has matured faster in some aspects and behind in others.”

Completing her communications degree is an important tick on her to do list, but it can wait for a while because “education will always be there.”

For now, her focus is on this season and defending the extraordinary results from last season when she captured seven World Cup victories in eleven events.

“Last season, whenever one of us got a result, the rest of us were happy and would try even harder so we could all be on the top of the podium,” she said.

The accolades since her Crystal Globe award in March this year as the overall best freestyle skier in the world have come thick and fast.

Cox was jointly awarded as Ski & Snowboard Australia’s Athlete of the Year with Snowboarder Scotty James in April and two weeks ago as the New South Wales Institute of Sport Female Athlete of the Year.

Will PyeongChang 2018 be her final Olympics?

“There will be another Olympics after this!” Britt Cox declared.

The opening Mogul Skiing World Cup begins with Ladies Qualification on December 9 in Ruka, Finland. Also competing will be OWIA athlete Jakara Anthony and NSWIS skiers including Taylah O’Neill, Madii Himbury, Claudia Gueli, Sophie Ash and Krystle Yin.

The Australian Men’s contingent is led by multiple World Cup medallist Matt Graham along with NSWIS skiers Rohan Chapman-Davie, James Matheson and Cooper Woods-Topalovic.

For more information see the 2017/18 moguls World Cup calendar

The finals can be watched on Eursport. Check local guides.
 
 
 

The annual New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) Awards were presented on Thursday evening following an exceptional year that saw one of Australia’s most successful winter sports seasons ever.
 
Moguls Queen Britt Cox was named the Office of Sport Female Athlete of the Year following a stellar season that saw the 23-year-old win the Overall FIS Ladies Freestyle Skiing Crystal Globe in February.
 
Accepting the award, the two-time Winter Olympian said that since receiving her first NSWIS scholarship as a teenager she has been “so well supported, not just from my family but from NSWIS”.
 
“I was lucky enough that [after] being recruited as a 13-year-old, two years later I was at my first Olympic Games,” she said.
 
“I had so much support and I’d been taught by NSWIS [how] to go from an athlete to an elite athlete.”
 
Moguls coach Steve Desovich -- who was named alongside fellow coach Jerry Grossi as Southern Design Coach of the Year -- said that it all came down to the athletes “who we are fortunate enough to coach”.
 
“We are very pleased to have assembled such a high calibre group and look forward to the challenges for this upcoming season,” he said.
 
“Britt, Matt and Brodie were outstanding last season and it was quite a pleasure to see the hard work pay off with growth in both skills and competition performances.
 
“Winter sports in Australia has been able to achieve great outcomes over the years and sustain growth simultaneously.”
 
The level of camaraderie between the Australian mogul team members is well known, with Matt Graham being full of praise for Desovich and Grossi, who have been involved in his career since he was a teenager.
 
“Britt and myself believe they are the best coaches in the world and I think having that belief really makes a difference for us training,” he said.
 
“[It] gives us the confidence they will give us the right advice to make the difference moving forward and they just work really well together.
 
“They produce world class athletes and that’s been proven.”
 
Young gun Tess Coady, who just returned to Australia following the opening of the Big Air World Cup season in Milan, was named Mizuno Junior Athlete of the Year.
 
Coady’s mother, Kate Davie, was beaming with pride when her 17-year-old daughter’s name was announced as the winner.
 
“I feel thrilled for her and I feel that it’s recognition of a lot of hard work, lots of highs and lots of lows,” she said.
 
“[It’s] recognition really of the hard yards that goes into what she does every day when she goes out to train.”

Here's a full list of all the award winners:

Southern Design Coach of the Year
Steve Desovich/Jerry Grossi (Winter Sports)

Office of Sport Female Athlete of the Year
Britt Cox (Winter Sports – Mount Beauty)

Mizuno Junior Athlete of the Year
Tess Coady (Winter Sports – St Kilda)

University of Sydney Academic Excellence
Hannah Buckling (Water Polo – Mosman)

ClubsNSW Personal Excellence Award
Kaarle McCulloch (Cycling – Wilton)

Ian Thorpe OAM Outstanding Achievement presented by Ryde Toyota
Lachlan Hollis (Water Polo – Cabarita)

Sydney Olympic Park Authority Program of the Year
Rowing
​
Arrowfield Stud Male Athlete of the Year
Jack Hargreaves, Josh Hicks, Spencer Turrin (Rowing)


David Barden
​OWIA

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and Total Image Group (TIG) last week unveiled the official formal uniforms to be worn by the Australian Olympic Team at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.

On hand to model the new uniforms were some of Australia’s best winter athletes including Olympic silver medallist David Morris, World Champion Britt Cox and Sochi 2014 Olympians Danielle Scott, Matt Graham and Jarryd Hughes.
Total Image are an Australian owned group and Official Supplier of the 2018 Team’s formal uniform who specialise in designing fashion forward, fit for purpose uniforms.

“These uniforms have a true Australian look about them,” said Australian Olympic Committee, CEO Matt Carroll.
“We are particularly excited to welcome the Total Image Group on board as an official supplier and thank them for their support of the 2018 Olympic Team.”

With the days ticking away until the 2018 Games, Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman said the Team is progressing well and the unveiling of the formal uniforms is another milestone on the path to PyeongChang.

“I think the athletes are really going to love the look of these uniforms,” said 2018 Chef de Mission, Ian Chesterman.
“They’re youthful and exciting, while still maintaining a strong Australian feel that each and every Team member can wear with immense pride.

The uniforms, which include blazers with the names of every Australian Winter Olympian on the inside lining, feature a modern colour palette with Navy and darker tones complimenting traditional green and gold to represent an overall winter feel.

“Having the names of past Winter Olympians adds a special touch on this uniform and one that will mean a lot to the athletes. It continues a tradition that was started at the London 2012 Games.”

“Receiving your Australian Olympic formal uniform should be an exciting experience for all of our Team members and I think TIG has created pieces that will facilitate that.”

The suits which will be worn at all Team functions are made from 100% Australian Merino wool fabric and are complimented by brass buttons embossed with the Olympic crest, creating a classic yet contemporary Australian feel.
 
XTM will provide the 2018 Team with an array of competition-grade gloves, socks, baselayers and bags, as well as 100% Australian merino wool gloves to be worn with the formal uniform, in their fourth Games’ as an Official supplier.

TIG wanted to create a uniform that reflected a modern and fresh look that radiated team confidence with timeless tailored pieces made from the best Australian materials.

“It’s an honour to be chosen to dress the Australian Olympic Team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang,” said Total Image Group CEO Pamela Jabbour.

“The objective with the design was to focus on Winter tones and do something totally different whilst still strongly representing Australia. We are incredibly proud of the final result and can’t wait to see the athletes wearing our designs.”

Chesterman who will lead his sixth Team as Chef de Mission at a Winter Games also highlighted the importance of the athletes’ input during the design phase.

“I think it is crucial to have the athletes involved in the process of creating these formal uniforms. Their tick of approval really means everything. They are the ones that have spent years training to earn that blazer.”

Dual Olympian and 2017 Moguls World Champion, Britt Cox was one of five athletes that saw a sneak peak of the uniform at an outfitting session earlier this year.

“I was lucky enough to see the uniform in April and I knew right away I loved it,” Cox said.

“The Olympics are the pinnacle of our sporting careers, so being able to give our feedback on the formal uniform is really special.”

Cox hopes to represent Australia at her third Olympics and receiving an Olympic blazer is always a special experience.
“Even though this is my third Olympic uniform, it still feels as exciting as it did before the 2010 Vancouver Games,” the 23-year-old said.

“These uniforms are a symbol of years of hard work and dedication in our respective sports. Every time I put it on, I feel a great sense of pride for of accomplishments and for my country.”

Coming off Australia’s top Winter season to date with a total of 40 World Cup and World Championship medals as well as two World Championship titles, a Team of approximately 50 athletes will compete across 11 sports at the 2018 PyeongChang Games.

PyeongChang will be the site of South Korea’s second Olympic Games having hosted the 1988 Summer Games in the capital Seoul and its first Winter Olympic Games.

More information on the PyeongChang 2018 Australian Olympic Winter Team can be found at olympics.com.au.

olympics.com.au

Matt Graham knows all about pressure and big events having stood on World Cup podiums ten times and the experience of the Sochi Olympics where he finished 7th.

There won’t be a stone unturned in his preparation for PyeongChang next February.

“Especially in an Olympic year,” Graham said of his training since April. “You want to be first and be ahead of the eight ball and that gives you an edge. As long as you perform well, which is what I’m after, you’re always going to happy no matter what the result is."

Being prepared is how the Australian mogul skiers go about their business.

“I guess Olympics is just another event and in other ways, it’s not. There’s so much more meaning behind it,” Graham said before leaving for a Swiss training camp last week.

Since Sochi Graham says he has changed and learned.

“Overall, I’ve matured. I can deal with pressure at a competition and its part of growing as an athlete - everyone goes through that stage. Everything is just enhanced.”

“The off season this year has been about filling the gaps. Olympics is the target. I put more pressure on myself and I get more out of it than just another event.”  

Last season began with a silver medal in Finland and in January this year Graham repeated his 2015/16 victory over Mikael Kingsbury in Calgary winning gold and making it an historic double act on the winner’s podium with team mate Britt Cox.

His outstanding results also included two bronze medals (Taiwoo, China and Tazawako, China – dual moguls) and two fourth place finishes.

Graham’s view of last season following the World Championships in Spain brings mixed emotions.

“The way I look at it (last season), it was up and down – a roller coaster. There were a few wins and Calgary was the highlight,” he said. “It was very special for Britt and me. We are basically family.”

“Worlds was an anti-climax. In hind-sight I was bummed about last season and know I have to work harder to go after the next level.”

The level of comradery between the Australian mogul team members is well known.

“There’s no discord. It comes with the culture we have built. We all started out in similar fashions at the club level,” he explained.

“We get to travel the world with our best friends as teammates and we take pride in that and push each other along.”

Coaches Steve ‘Des’ Desovich and Jerry Grossi meticulously plan each season and an Olympic preparation is no different.  

“They’ve been involved in my career for a long time now. They’ve got a lot of tech expertise in acrobatics and I’m quite certain we have the best coaching staff in the world. They are unique and they want the most out of us day in and day out.”

The domestic season for the current World number three has already included a record breaking and historic sixth ABOM Mogul Challenge victory at Mt Buller in early September.

Prior to the ABOM, Graham won one of the two National Championships events in Perisher, beating ‘King’ Kingsbury but ceded the overall title to the Canadian on the second day.

Is the spectre of toppling the Canadian two-time World Champion, Olympic silver medallist and record holder for most World Cups won now less daunting for Graham?  

“Yes and no. He’s getting better every day but he’s got competition now. It’s remarkable what he’s achieved and as a good friend I look up to him in a lot of ways, but I’m obviously trying to chase him and close the gap. In the last few years I’ve definitely closed that. I’ve now got a winning package,” Graham said.

“At Perisher I out skied him on day one of competition and that’s something that was on his mind and I know he feels a bit threatened by me. But he has a serious mental game on him. He’s consistent.”

Graham is focussing on himself rather than Kingsbury.

“It’s an individual sport. It comes down to each run and how I execute my run. I know for sure that when he is struggling it gets to him and vice versa. It goes both ways - that’s for sure.”

Following the domestic season, Graham headed to the AIS for the altitude house with fellow mogul skier Rohan Chapman-Davies, Snowboard Cross’ Adam Lambert and Ski Cross athlete Sami Kennedy-Sim.

“This period is a time where we could focus on strength and conditioning and get on top of it. We were effectively living at 3,000 metres before the mogul team go into camp at Zermatt in Switzerland with a high intensity conditioning focus. We are training to prepare for training!”

The Central Coast native, already a seasoned, experienced world competitor will celebrate his 23rd birthday on October 23. He credits his younger sailing days on Brisbane Waters for honing his competitive skills.   

“What’s not to miss on the coast?” he asked.  “The water is great. The surf or, on the lake if it’s windy enough for a sail.”
As a young teenager Graham competed in sailing winning four national and six state titles in the junior class.  

“Sailing gave me a taste for gold. Definitely. As a youngster, I was pretty dominant and I didn’t cope with losing then. Sailing taught me that. Now, I want to get used to winning again.”

“I’m really enjoying the sport, competing and travelling and I’m really hungry.”

“There are seven World Cups between now and the Games. It’s exciting as an athlete in Australia.”

 “We’ve had our greatest year ever in winter sports. Moguls have obviously done well and then we watch everyone out there crushing it week in and week out, read the news of another medal and when we read it, it pushes you.”

The Mogul Skiing World Cups begin in Ruka, Finland on December 9.

To see previous news about Matt Graham or check out his profile, click here
 
 
 
 

Sochi Olympian Brodie Summers has sustained a knee injury during training but still refuses to “waste a day of training” as he strives towards a second Games experience at PyeongChang 2018.

The 23-year-old had a freak accident during training at Mt Buller on Friday morning, which has ruptured his ACL.

“Quite the mogul I have to deal with. Now it’s time to adjust the game plan, get my knee back to feeling strong and hit the gym harder than I ever have before,” Summers said.

“I’m feeling very fortunate to have a team that is so well set up to deal with these sort of things. The plan is to have a MRI on Monday morning and then head straight to Doc Braun. Then I will have a better idea about where to go from here and time frames,” Summers said.

On-site at Mt Buller was OWIA Head of Rehab Ashley Merkur.

“I had Ash with me at Mt Buller. She broke the news to me straight away that she thought it was a torn ACL and called Doc. They’ve set up a course of action. It’s not a great situation to be in but it’s great tp have the support around me.”
 
Five months out from PyeongChang, he admits “it’s tight”.

“I’m getting through it mentally. We will know more on Monday.”

“Whatever the situation I’m already motivated to give it every bit I’ve got to get the job done. Other people have done it,” he said.

The Melbourne local competed in the Australian Championships in Perisher last week, where he finished fourth behind the Canadian trio Mikael Kingsbury (currently ranked first in the world), Marc Antoine Gagnon and Gabriel Dufresne and was back at Mt Buller for training.

He had planned to defend his prestigious ABOM Moguls Challenge title, which he won for the second time in 2016 alongside his Australian teammate, the current female World Champion and five-time ABOM Champion Britt Cox.

“It’s the longest running FIS mogul event in the world I believe,” Summers said. “And it has a great heritage with former champions including Dale Begg-Smith and Alexandre Bilodeau.

Defending that title is now off the table, but his sights remain on PyeongChang.  

 “The Olympics is the pinnacle of our sport so getting another opportunity to represent Australia at this level is an absolute privilege.

“Every time I think about PyeongChang it just reminds me that I can’t afford to waste a day at training,” he said last week.

“Whether it’s on the hill, in the gym or even at home when I’m working on the mental aspects of my training, it’s always in my mind that the Games are fast approaching and I need to make every day at training count.”

After an exceptional 2016/17 season Australia’s Moguls skiers have continued their fine form back home at the Australian Moguls Championships in Perisher with 2017 World Champion Britt Cox taking out the overall Ladies title after two separate days of competition and Canadian Mikael Kinsgbury winning the Mens.
 
With two men’s and women’s events held across the past two days, Matt Graham and Britt Cox both recorded wins as Australia claimed a total of four podium finishes in fields stacked with a host of medal contenders for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
 
Britt Cox finished with silver in the opening event behind world number two Perrine Laffont of France while Olivia Giaccio of the USA claimed the bronze. Aussies Madii Himbury claimed sixth, Nicole Parks was 14th and Taylah O’Neill did not finish.
 
After a stellar 2016/17 season which saw Cox win seven World Cup gold medals before claiming the top spot at the 2017 World Championships, she added another victory to her tally in Wednesday’s second and final event. Giaccio was again in the medals while rising Australian young gun Jakara Anthony won the bronze medal. Fellow Aussies O’Neill moved up to sixth with Himbury 10th and Parks failed to finish.
 
“I’m so happy, especially with the win today, but really happy with my performances over the last two days,” said Cox.
 
“I love competing in Australia and at the Nationals as it gives us a good chance to get back into comp mode midway through the year and see where we’re at.
 
“It was a really strong field of competition and I love having that pushing me. It’s awesome to have that level out here in Australia especially for the young kids to see and learn from.”
 
One of the rising stars that will benefit from the competition is Jakara Anthony who was thrilled with her medal-winning performance.
 
“I’m really excited to have made the podium,” said the 18-year-old.
 
“I was happy with how I put everything together and I thought it went well for me today.
 
“I think I’m doing alright at the moment. We’ve had a lot of training this year and have a couple more camps to go to fine tune everything before the World Cup season. Then hopefully I can put together some good results heading into PyeongChang.”
 
World number three Graham took out Tuesday’s opening men’s event ahead of Canadian guns Mikael Kingsbury and Laurent Dumais while Aussie Brodie Summers did not finish.
 
It was world number one Kingsbury who climbed to the top of the podium in the second event though ahead of his Canadian teammates Marc Antoine Gagnon and Gabriel Dufresne. Summers claimed fourth, with Graham in sixth.  
 
“I had flashes of brilliance today, a couple of training runs I was really happy with, but the course got tricky in the finals and with the depth in the field you really couldn’t get away with any mistakes out there,” Graham said.
 
“I’m not as happy as I was yesterday but overall I’m pretty happy with how I’m skiing.”
 
 
Graham is now looking forward to making the steady improvements he needs to challenge for World Cup podiums and a prized medal in PyeongChang.
 
“I need to work on my jumps a lot and hitting jumps 10/10 times with no mistakes and ski a lot cleaner and faster on my turns. There is a lot to work on and a lot to take out of these events.”
 
While not everything went to script for Summers he pulled out a strong result in the final event.
 
“It wasn’t quite what I had planned in the start gate but sometimes things don’t go to plan and you have a bit more speed and height and you just have to go with it,” Summers said.
 
“I was happy I was able to hold on with a much larger top air than I had anticipated, put on a bit of a show for the crowd on the bottom air and then cross the line.
 
“Overall it was a better performance than yesterday and importantly I feel I’m tracking in the right direction for the Olympics in February.”
 
After two days of championship skiing the overall winners were Britt Cox in the Ladies and Mikael Kingsbury in the Men’s.
 
The Australian Moguls team will now have a break from competition before the World Cup season kicks off in Ruka in December.

Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au

 

MOGULS: She'll head into next year's Winter Olympics as one of Australia's medal contenders but Britt Cox says she's relishing having a target on her back.

Cox will take part in her first big event of the domestic ski season at the Australian Moguls Championships at Perisher on Tuesday.

Already a two-time Winter Olympian by the time she was 19, Cox hadn't won a World Cup event up until last season.
But she went from bit player to dominant performer in 2016/17, winning the first event of the season in Finland and going on to secure another six victories as well as the world championship title in Spain.

"This time it is different again. Going in as world number one and then world champion I definitely have a huge target on my back," she said.

"But when I ask myself in what position I would rather be in I think that this is exactly where I want to be.

"It shows me that the training I am doing is going in the right direction and I look forward to going in with that target on my back."

The Australian Championships field has a strong international flavour with the likes of World Cup winners Mikaela Matthews (United States) and Maxime Dufour-Lapoint (Canada) slated to compete.

Meanwhile Australian men's hope Matt Graham will face off against the likes of six-time World Cup champion Mikael Kingsbury (Canada).

Graham admits being in awe of Kingsbury who is regarded as the greatest moguls skier of all time.

"He's an incredible athlete," says Graham. "I put him up with the greatest sports people of all time. He is a Roger Federer, a Le Bron James, a Michael Jordan. He has changed the sport and is on the next level."

After finishing second overall in the 2015/16 season Graham had hoped to challenge Kingsbury regularly in 2016/17 but admitted falling short despite a World Cup victory amongst his four podium finishes.

"I was really gunning to be up against Mick in a lot of events but I felt that I didn't really achieve that goal. In hindsight it has definitely motivated me more to work harder this year."

The men's competition also features regular podium finisher Phillippe Marquis from Canada and last season's overall runner-up Benjamin Cavet from France.


AAP

Did mogul skier Jakara Anthony think she was in with a shot at making the 2018 Australian Olympic Winter Team this time last year?

“Olympics in 2018? No way,” the Barwon Heads 18-year-old said. “2022 was originally the goal.”

But as her 19th birthday comes around this weekend, PyeongChang is a distinct possibility after a breakthrough season, which saw Anthony qualify into the Mogul World Cup final in Deer Valley, Utah – finishing 14th, then a ninth in Tazawako, Japan capped off by her first World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain with a 12th place behind champion and team-mate Britt Cox.

The World Cup circuit was a steep learning curve for the teenager, but her Asian Winter Games experience, where she finished fifth and carried the flag in the closing ceremony, was the real eye-opener.

“The World Cup circuit is a lot bigger deal than I thought it would be and a lot more tiring than I expected.”
“I learned to stay focused and being able to do it on the day matters,” Anthony said of making four finals in the 2016/17 season.

“The Asian Winter Games in Sapporo in February propelled me. It was a big eye-opener and like a mini Olympics.”

“It was massive compared to any other event I’d ever been to. I didn’t realise how big it would be or how official with all the other sports and athletes there.”

Anthony experienced the media mixed zone for the first time and is glad of all the experiences in Sapporo as preparation for next February.

“Hopefully, you will be seeing me in PyeongChang.”

For now, it’s all preparation, training and work having spent two months in Whistler on snow and water ramping with coaches Pete McNeil and Peter ‘Toppa’ Topalovic before heading to Mt Buller these the school holidays as a ski instructor.
 
In July and August she will be heading to Perisher to join the OWIA and NSWIS mogul skiers for training and to compete at the National Championships, after which it’s back to water ramping in Victoria.

“There’s definitely stuff to improve. Speed is a big one for me – to be consistently fast on different courses.”

The moguls World Cup kick off in Ruka, Finland with Australia now fielding an exciting and strong team led by World Champion Britt Cox, Matt Graham and Brodie Summers.

“It’s cool to be a team mate with Britt. Even though I’ve been with her for a while now, I’ve looked up to Britt for a long time. She’s been leading the way since I was young.”

“Matt and Brodie are good to be with too. They’ve been kicking it on tour.”  

“It’s exciting (for moguls) in Australia now and being in OWIA is the top end. It’s great to be a part of it.”

Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission (and AOC Vice President) Ian Chesterman caught up with the younger mogul skiers in early April, explaining the evolution of freestyle skiing from ski ballet.

“It’s a much easier start in winter sports now, with the support that is on offer,” Mr Chesterman said. “Mogul skiing has come a long way since the first Olympic event in 1992.”
 
By Belinda Noonan OWIA
 

The excitement of last season’s success has given way to a focus on the year ahead for the mogul skiing program led by coaches Steve ‘Des’ Desovich and Jerry Grossi.

World Champion Britt Cox, team mates Matt Graham and Brodie Summers and NSWIS skiers will not have long to celebrate the Ski and Snowboard Awards with training back in full swing and a camp scheduled in Whistler, Canada.

Desovich and Grossi, who shared the ‘Coach of the Year’ award, said they are “fortunate” to work with athletes “who are very good people”. However, the success of the Australian Mogul Skiing program hinges on the decisions made by these two master coaches.

“Organisation is a simple effort. If you can’t get organised, your mind is not in the game,” Des says.

“As a coach, you do the best you can and that means effort,” he further explained. “Mentally thinking ahead and how the logistics work is part of the effort.”

Details matter to Desovich and whilst he admits to not wanting to be paranoid if things go wrong, the logistics are all a part of what helps the moguls team to be so successful.

“The OWIA staff make it right with logistics for dates, flights and accommodation. That takes effort.”

With over twenty years experience under his belt, Desovich has seen, heard and learned much – yet the core function of coaching remains the same he says.

“A coach has to be able to teach skills. They have to be a good teacher, be able to plan and adapt their coaching to different levels of athletes and abilities and to society.”

“Through the years I have been fortunate and was in the right place at the right time.”

Watching how thrilled the mogul skiers were for Desovich and Grossi after being awarded Coach of the Year, it would have to be said that the ‘fortunate’ feeling runs both ways.  

After a record breaking International season for Australia’s Snowsports athletes, 21 have been nominated for Snowsport Athlete of the Year Awards in their class, in recognition of their outstanding achievements ahead of next week’s Australian Ski & Snowboard Awards.

This year, 17 athletes won a combined 40 World Cup and World Championship medals plus 29 Para ski and snowboard medals.  The closest previous result was in 2013 when Australian athletes claimed 25 World Cup medals. 

Australia has also celebrated two World Champions, two Para-snowsport World Champions and a dual Junior World Champion this year, all of whom are nominated along with several other outstanding performing athletes.

The Australian Ski & Snowboard Athlete of the Year Award is the highest honour bestowed upon athletes in the sport.  Finalists are drawn from the list of nominees with the winners announced at the Awards.

Nominees for Snowsport Athlete of the Year
Dominic Demschar – Alpine Skiing
Sami-Kennedy Sim – Ski Cross
Britt Cox – Mogul Skiing (Current World Champion)
Matt Graham – Mogul Skiing (2016 Athlete of the Year)
Danielle Scott – Aerial Skiing
David Morris – Aerial Skiing
Russ Henshaw – Slopestyle
Scotty James – Snowboard Halfpipe (Current World Champion)
Christian De Oliveira – Snowboard Slalom and Parallel Giant Slalom
Alex Pullin – Snowboard Cross
Belle Brockhoff – Snowboard Cross
Junior World Champion Slopestyle and Big Air)
Jessica Yeaton Cross Country
 
Nominees for Junior Snowsport Athlete of the Year
Alec Scott – Alpine Skiing
Max Hill – Ski Cross
Liam Burton – Cross Country
Jakara Anthony – Mogul Skiing
Millie Bongiorno - Snowboard Slalom and Parallel Giant Slalom
Adam Lambert – Snowboard Cross (Europa Cup Champion)
Tess Coady – Snowboard and Big Air (Current Junior World Champion Slopestyle and Big Air)

Nominees for Para-Snowsport Athlete of the Year
Mitch Gourley – Para Alpine Skiing (IPC Alpine Skiing World Champion)
Joany Badenhorst Para Snowboard (IPC Snowboard Cross World Champion)

The Snowsports Athlete of the Year award has previously been won by the likes of Alisa Camplin, Jacqui Cooper, Torah Bright, Zali Steggall and Dale Begg-Smith.

The awards also recognize the rising stars, coaches and schools for their significant contributions to the sport this season.

What: 2017 Australian Ski and Snowboard Awards
When: Thursday 27 April 2017
Where: Maia, Shed 14, 161 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands

General Public ticket price: $125   See https://www.skiandsnowboard.org.au/events/7436/

Britt Cox and Matt Graham were the best performed of the Aussies on Dual Moguls day at the 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships, each posting a top 10 result. 
 
Cox finished seventh overall after going down to Kazakhstan’s Yulia Galysheva in their round of eight heat.

​Galysheva went on to win silver. 
 
“Yulia is an excellent skier, a fast skier and I tried to put up a good fight but she was definitely a clear winner in that one,” Cox said.  

“Dual Moguls is so much fun but anything can happen. There’s generally a lot of upsets and I went in there trying to put down run after run," she said. 
 
Earlier in the day it was an all Aussie affair in the women's event when Cox went head to head against her young compatriot Jakara Anthony in the round of 16. Cox earned her quarter final berth with a 21 - 14 victory against 18-year-old Anthony who is competing at her first World Championships.
 
Anthony went on to finish 16 from a field of 31 starters. Fellow Aussie Madi Himbury was eliminated in the round of 32 and finished 24th. France's Perrine Lafont won gold. 

In the men's event Matt Graham made it to the round of 16 where he drew American skier Thomas Rowley as his opponent.  The closely contested heat was awarded to Rowley which saw Graham finish 10th in the overall standings.
 
Brodie Summers and James Matheson could not advance from the round of 32, finishing 18th and 28th respectively.

The men's final was not without drama with both finalists crashing before the finish. Ikuma Horishima of Japan and Wilson Bradley of the United States pushed the limits and scrambled to the line in an effort to win gold with victory ultimately being awarded to Horishima.  

The 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships brings to an end the 2016/17 Mogul Skiing season.  
 
 

SIERRA NEVADA, SPAIN| Britt Cox has won gold at the 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships, eclipsing a strong field to become Australia’s first ever Single Mogul Skiing World Champion.
 
The win caps an incredible season for Cox, who recently won the women’s Mogul Skiing World Cup crown, a second feat no Australian has previously achieved.
 
“All season this was the event in the back of my mind, this was the event that I really wanted to be successful at,” Cox said.
 
“To be successful here and ski the way I did, I couldn’t be happier,” she said. 
 
Cox set the pace early in Wednesday’s event, qualifying in first position with 80.23 points. In the round of 18 she lifted again, scoring 82.82 points to maintain her lead over the 34 strong field. 
 
It was in the round of six where Cox earned her world champion status, scoring a commanding 83.63 points to defeat France’s Perrine Laffont who finished second with 82.51. The reigning Olympic and World Champion Justine Dufour-Lapointe of Canada was third with 80.74. 
 
“A lot of people have been asking me what clicked this season and I don’t think anything necessary clicked, it was more a matter of all the training I have done over a number of years finally paying off for me,” Cox said.
 
“One of the things my coaches are huge advocates for are basics and fundamentals and I’ve learnt from them that to be successful consistently you have to master those basics and fundamentals and we’ve worked hard on that for a long time and I think it’s finally starting to pay off for me,” she said. 
 
For Cox, Spain’s mild conditions were a fond reminder of skiing in Australia and she thrived in the environment.
 
“It was so unbelievably warm it felt like skiing back in Australia and I had so much fun today, you couldn’t ask for better weather for the final event of the season,” she said.
 
With the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games now her focus, the two-time Olympian says she has more to give.
 
“In my head I’m watching the runs I’ve done this season and there’s still so much more I want to do with my skiing and I have so many opportunities and training camps to come where I can build upon that and work on my skiing to hopefully put myself in the best position to do the run of my life next year,” she said.  
 
In the men’s event Australia’s Brodie Summers, Matt Graham and Rohan Chapman-Davies did not progress to the round of six instead bowing out in the round of 18. Summers was best ranked of the Aussies finishing in 11th position earning 79.58 points for his final run. Graham’s final run scored 78.09 which ranked him 14th overall and Chapman-Davies was 15th with 76.93 points. James Matheson finished 29th with a 73.14 point run. 
 
Competing at her first World Championships, 18-year old Jakara Anthony finished 12th in the women’s event, producing a solid 75.45 in the round of 18. It was also Madi Himbury's first World Championships and she finished  20th with 68.91 points. 
 
The Aussies return to Sierra Nevada’s Moguls course on Thursday to contest the Duals event.

With the Mogul Skiing World Cup season done and dusted all that remains are the World Championship titles to be decided in Sierra Nevada, Spain over the next twelve days beginning  tomorrow - Wednesday, March 8.

Following the World Cup Final last week in China the OWIA/NSWIS mogul squad headed to  Spain for recovery and training.

The red-hot favourite for the Ladies World Championship is 22-year-old Britt Cox, the season’s Overall FIS Ladies Freestyle Skiing Crystal Globe winner who has seven victories in eleven events to her credit.  

After being presented the Overall Crystal Globe last weekend, Cox was justifiably pleased with her season.  

“I am so happy to be able to do the skiing I had envisioned for myself and I’m grateful for my support network in helping me do just that,” she said.

OWIA team mates Matt Graham – who took third overall in the FIS Men’s Mogul Skiing - and Brodie Summers have also had a successful season, but coaches Steve Desovich and Jerry Grossi say there is much to do.

"Now that we are in Spain the focus is obviously to take everything from the season and create key objectives and goals to get the skiers on track," coach Desovich said.

“This season has been a wonderful surprise thus far and we are very pleased with the skills and performances (of the athletes).”

“Coming into the season we really did not know how the team would stack up - so it’s good to see all their hard work pay off,” he said.

After arriving in Spain, the mogul team had the use of the Centro de alto Rendimiento Sierra Nevada (commonly known as CAR Sierra Nevada Altitude Training Centre), which is one of the finest sports facilities in the world.  

"We opted to arrive into Sierra Nevada early to recover and relax with on-going strength and conditioning,” Desovich explained.

“The recovery process is a real science and art that John Marsden (OWIA Head of Athlete Preparation) handles quite well. The opportunity also allows for individual customisation to optimize and affect the athletes’ potential. We are quite fortunate to have a man of John’s calibre on board for this period."

Co-coach Jerry Grossi, who was originally an aerial skier, is responsible for the jumps in the OWIA mogul program.
Grossi agrees that the success of the Australians in moguls this year has surprised everyone, but he and Desovich see far more potential.

“We hope that the recent success of our athletes motivates them to work harder and realize their true potential, Grossi said.
 
“We still have a ton of work to do. They know it, we know it. We want this season to give them the confidence to go after it a lot harder, and have the mind set to do whatever it takes to improve quality and performance.”
 
It’s tough school at the top.
 
“As their jump coach, I see where we could improve and areas to be fixed. We will continue to work hard and focus on technique and improving jump quality, which will have direct effect across the board.”
 
“The guys seem very motivated now. They are looking forward to going to work and sealing any cracks up for good.”
 
“Our goal for next season is to have an impenetrable package with high quality top to bottom runs.”  
 
Next season aside, the immediate goal is the World Championships, which begins with Ladies qualifying for Britt Cox and NSWIS skiers Jakara Anthony  and Madi Himburyon Wednesday evening 7.40pm (AEDT).  
 
Men’s qualifying follows at 21.50pm for Matt Graham and Brodie Summers plus NSWIS athletes Rohan Chapman-Davies and James Matheson.
 
The mens and ladies finals will be broadcast live at midnight, Wednesday 8 March on Eurosport and can also be viewed on a  live stream via Ski & Snowboard Australia at https://www.skiandsnowboard.org.au/2017-snowboard--freestyle-world-champs/
Mogul Duals will be comepted on Thursday, March 9 and again will be live on Eurosport or via live stream on the Ski & Snowboard Australia website.
 
 
 

Sophie Ash and Jakara Anthony have delivered Australia another two strong Asian Winter Games results, finishing fifth and sixth respectively in the women’s Moguls.
 
The pair set themselves up for a shot at the podium after producing consistent runs through qualifying and the first final.
 
Ash’s qualifying run received a score of 74.70, ranking her second for the round of 10 where she scored 75.86.  
 
“Really exciting to qualify second, I was hoping for a top three result (in qualifying) so I was really happy,” Ash said. 
 
Ash’s final run scored 69.20 for overall fifth place. 
 
“The bottom air was a weak part of the run, I feel I didn’t hit it very well today,” Ash said.
 
“I had a few runs where I hit it well so I knew I could do it so it was a bit frustrating for the final run,” she said.
 
Anthony’s path to the final included a 74.70 in qualifying and 77.52 in the round of 10.
 
In the final the 18-year-old scored 68.29.
 
“Pretty happy with all my runs,” Anthony said.
 
“They were consistent and got progressively better throughout the day.
 
“I picked up the speed but unfortunately it wasn’t enough in the end.”
 
Anthony has found the Asian Winter Games an invaluable learning experience.  
 
“For me these Games were about getting the experience at a big profile event so that I will have experienced something similar to the Olympics if I get to go.”
 
In the men’s event, Aussies Cooper Woods-Topalovic and Ben Matsumoto narrowly missed qualifying for the round of 10, finishing in 11th and 12th respectively.
 
The pair were among the youngest in the 19 strong field, which was largely comprised of World Cup skiers.
 
Woods-Topalovic’s score of 76.61 missed qualification by the smallest of margins, with the 10th placed skier, Korea’s Myung-Joon Seo qualifying through in 76.81.
 
“I had quite a good run but I didn’t land my bottom air, I got deducted a couple of points on that but still happy with my overall performance and so were my coaches,” Woods-Topalovic said.
 
“There are still a couple of mistakes that need to be worked on.”
 
Matsumoto was also happy with his qualification run for which he received a score of 66.50.
 
“It felt better than Friday in the Dual Moguls,” Matsumoto said.
 
“I’ve never been to a competition nearly as big as this. It’s been an amazing experience and I’ve learned a lot,” he said.   
 
ere to edit.

Brodie Summers has been a man on an upward path this season, making four finals in the season a duals bronze medal, culminating tonight in his first World Cup podium – a silver.

“I felt good all day,” Summers said. “The best part was sharing the podium with Matt. I was really chuffed about that – and seeing lots of Australian flags on the podiums.”
 
“The course is fun but also very tricky. The most noticeable point of difference is the spacing on the turns... these are by far and away the tightest moguls I have ever skied.”
 
“It was a tough course and to be rewarded at the end of the day is just great and I want to ski my best tomorrow in the Duals.”
 
Summers acknowledged the team effort that is the glue behind the Australian mogul skiing success.
 
“The success was really about the entire team executing the game plan. We stuck to the plan and it paid off.”
 
Matt Graham took the bronze behind Summers and did so by coming from 11th place in the qualifying, making his fourth podium for the season and appearing in all bar one Super Final, earning him a reputation as one of the most consistent skiers on the World Cup tour.
 
“I’m feeling really confident. One of my goals at the beginning of the season was consistency. I’ve made the top six everywhere except Lake Placid,” Graham said.
 
“I had a good feeling at the top of the course. There were some dicey runs in practise and to ski up from 11th place in the qualifying to second in Final 1 was really satisfying.”
 
“If you qualify low, it is unusual to make the Super Final. I knew that first final had to be goo and I laid it down.”
 
“In the Super Final, I made some mistakes in the middle section but I’m super happy for Brodie and had my fingers crossed for him during his run. It’s great.” 
 
Success was also tasted by 19-year-old NSWIS skier Claudia Gueli who made her first final and finished in 13th place. 
 
“It was really cool to see Claudia make her first final today. She was ripping this course so that was very well deserved,” Britt Cox said.
 
Other Australian results in Thaiwoo include Krystle Yin 19th, Madi Himbury 22nd, James Matheson 18th and Rohan Chapman-Davies 19th.
 
The Dual Moguls will be competed today (Sunday) at 2.05pm and concludes the 2016/17 Mogul Skiing World Cups.
 
The World Championships will be held at Sierra Nevada, Spain on March 8 and 9.
 
 

Australian athletes are feeling confident for the rest of their competition after experiencing strong qualification runs yesterday in the men’s and women’s Sapporo 2017 Asian Winter Games Dual Moguls at the Bankei Ski Arena.  
 
18-year-old Jakara Anthony was the best positioned of the Aussies, scoring 67.11 in the qualifying round to progress to the quarter finals and finish the women’s event in fifth position.
 
“My qualification was going really well except I struggled with the bottom air today.” Anthony said.
 
“It was a bit sharper than the jumps I’ve been on so that bumped me down a bit in the rankings.
 
“I thought my duals run was better but I’m just a bit slow so I didn’t win it, but that’s ok, I’ll ski something similar on singles day and I think it will do the job,” she said.
 
Sophie Ash’s qualification score of 64.65 saw her advance to the quarter finals and finish seventh overall.
 
“I’ve been doing a full back in training so I’m happy to get that in comp especially here in Japan because this is a good event,” Ash said. 
 
“I wasn’t quite happy with my bottom air, I wanted to go a bit bigger but I’m happy I skied well out of the top air and got some good skiing in because it’s really sweet conditions,” she said. 
 
In the men's event, Cooper Woods-Topalovic and Ben Matsumoto finished in 11th and 13th positions respectively.

Matsumoto scored 60.85 in qualifying but his run in the round of 16 didn’t go to plan.  
 
“I went a little bit bigger than usual off the top air but I think I came in a bit short and my skis caught in the snow so I just went over the front and fell into the bumps,” Matsumoto said.
 
“I put a top to bottom down in qualifications, it wasn’t the cleanest or best run but my goal was to get to the bottom.
 
“I was more looking forward to singles so hopefully I can ski how I want to in that event,” he said.  
 
Woods-Topalovic’s qualification score of 74.04 had him riding high for the round of 16.  

“I put down the run I needed to and my coaches were very happy,” Woods-Topalovic said.
 
“It felt good coming in and I was stoked.” 
 
Woods-Topalovic said the Aussies were already looking ahead to the singles event.
 
“Good to get the nerves out of the road in this first comp and be a bit more relaxed in the gate on Sunday.
 
“Hopefully we can put down a couple cleaner runs and good performance.”
 
The Aussie Mogul team will be back in action on Sunday for the men’s and women’s singles events.
 
 
 

They may be a little weary from the week-in week-out competing, travelling, training and resting on the FIS Mogul Skiing World Cup tour this season but the Australians are staying on top of their game in a spectacular season that has created history.
 
Britt Cox became the first Australian female to win a Mogul Skiing World Cup title last week in Japan and Matt Graham won a bronze medal, but now their focus is on the last two World Cups in Thaiwoo, China before the World Championships in Spain on March 8 and 9.
 
Juggling the athletes’ regime is the responsibility of coaches Steve ‘Des’ Desovich and Jerry Grossi.  
 
"With Britt, the focus remains on rest and recovery ahead of the event in China this week,” Coach Desovich explained.
 
“We have had a rigorous schedule leading to the normal travel fatigue so that is a primary challenge right now.
 
“Britt has done so well this season due to her attention to detail and being able to execute what she needs to do when she needs to do it. First in training then transferring to the event, " he said.
 
Training in China will be about learning the course, continuing with skill development and execution.

The Australian coaches have consistently maintained their focus on skill and execution – a plan that has also kept Matt Graham in podium contention throughout the season and boosted  results for  Brodie Summers.
 
Leading into China, Graham is in third position in the overall World Cup standings – and trails second position by 47 points. Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury – like Britt Cox – has already secured the overall Crystal Globe as number one.
 
"Matt has had some real highlights this season which we are quite happy with,” Desovich said.
 
“The near misses that have transpired are just a reminder of which skills need further enhancement and really getting all the ingredients correct in the three sectors of our sport which are jumps, turns and speed.”
 
“He has some exciting opportunities left in the season and we look forward to the next day of training in China which is the next step required to execute at the highest level more consistently."  
 
Brodie Summers has had a much improved 2016/17 season delivering three top ten World Cup results including a bronze in Dual Moguls at Deer Valley.
 
"Brodie has done a nice job this season on many levels. Jerry and I are quite pleased with his work right from April onwards where he has been able to experience some nice growth across the board,” Coach Desovich said.
 
“As per usual, the focus will remain on skiing and jumping better while also preparing for the specifics of the course simultaneously. Brodie needs to continue to put himself in a position to succeed by completing his training runs along with lifting the quality of his skills while doing so."  

The Thaiwoo, China Moguls World Cup is on Saturday 25 February from 12 noon with live coverage of the finals on Eurosport Australia from 4.30pm.

 

Moguls athlete Jakara Anthony is chasing an Olympic dream and with less than a year to go to the Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games the 18-year-old is stepping up at the right time.
 
At last weekend’s Tazawako Freestyle Ski World Cup in Japan, Anthony broke through for her first top-ten World Cup result.
 
“I finished up ninth which was amazing,” Anthony said. “I wasn’t expecting to do that well so I was really happy with how it went.”
 
“This season I’ve also made two other finals on the tour finishing 11th and 14th so it’s really good to get my name out there and to be getting these good scores.
 
“Nice to know I can compete with some of the best in the world,” she said.
 
Anthony says familiarisation is the reason for her recent run of good results.  
 
“I think a lot of it has to do with feeling comfortable on tour, it’s a very different atmosphere to any other competitions I’ve done and just having the experience of a few comps before was what I needed to put my run down to get confident.”
 
The Barwon Heads 2016 high school graduate has been selected to represent Australia at the Asian Winter Games in both the Moguls and Dual Moguls events.
 
She has deferred tertiary studies in Bio Medicine to pursue her skiing goals and has spent the season training at Winter Park in Colorado.
 
“I want to consistently make top ten at World Cup and I want to get to the Olympics,” she said. “Potentially 2018 if I qualify, but if not I’m looking at 2022 in Beijing.”
 
Anthony arrived in Sapporo earlier in the week and has good first impressions.
 
“I didn’t realise how big the event was and its very high profile, everything is very official and there’s a lot of athletes from different countries that I didn’t even know participated in winter sports and it’s really awesome to be a part of it.”
 
The 2017 Sapporo Asian Winter Games Moguls will begin on Friday.

Britt Cox has created history, becoming the first Australian female to win a Mogul Skiing World Cup title, in today’s Dual Mogul event in Tazawako, Japan.
 
After victory in yesterday single moguls event at the same resort, the 22-year-old NSWIS skier went down in the round of 16 to Russian Marika Pertakhiya by the smallest of margins, 18 to 17, and finished in ninth place.
 
Fortunately for Cox her closest rivals, Perrine Laffont of France and Justine Dufour-Lapointe of Canada were also unable to progress to the later rounds of the event. Cox now leads Laffont by 259 points and wraps up the series win, with only two events and a maximum of 200 points remaining in China next weekend.
 
Cox’s outstanding season comes on the back of six World Cup victories, which equals the legendary Dale Begg-Smith, who won six World Cup events in his Olympic Gold Medal winning year in 2005-2006.
 
Once the news came in that the title had been secured, Cox reflected on her journey in the sport.
 
“Mogul skiing has been my passion ever since I was a little kid. I live and breathe moguls, so to find out this afternoon that I have won the crystal globe for mogul skiing feels incredible."
 
“The job certainly is not done yet, we still have two more world cups in China before the World Championships in Spain."

"I skied well in the duals today but my opponent in the round of 16 skied better. It was a close one but I think I got a bit wild in the middle section which meant the dual went her way."
 
"I am so grateful for the motivated and hard working support team I have around me. The  Australian system of OWIA, AOC, AIS, NSWIS and Ski and Snowboard Australia provide our team with the best possible support to allow us to simply do our job as best we can week to week."
 
Olympic Winter Institute of Australia Mogul Skiing Head Coach Steve Desovich was thrilled with Cox's season after the event.
 
"Today Britt formally clinched the World Cup Title, which we are ecstatic with."
 
"This is a very monumental achievement and so well deserved. Ultimately only the very best are able to stay consistent throughout a whole season and emerge victorious."
 
“Having said this, we have two events remaining in China next week and the World Championships in March, which is where the focus will be at this stage.”

Cox’s World Cup title was not the only highlight for the OWIA/NSWIS Mogul Skiing Program in Japan, with Matt Graham putting together another impressive performance to take bronze.
 
Graham advanced though the first few rounds before a semi-final showdown with world number two, Benjamin Cavet of France. In a very competitive dual, Graham was unfortunately unable to progress to the big-final, going down 19 to 16.
 
Graham bounced back in the small-final, this time being on the right side of the 19-16 decision to take bronze against Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Reiherd.
 
Graham was thrilled to come away with his third World Cup medal of the season.
 
“Today was pretty awesome. I am really happy to come away with my third consecutive podium here in Tazawako.”
 
“Today was pretty awesome. I am really happy to come away with my third consecutive podium here in Tazawako.”
 
“The duals were extremely fast today and I had some really good runs and some runs which I was just able to scrape through the round, but, I guess that is duals. It’s one against one and you just need to do what you have to do to win.”
 
“Unfortunately I made a big mistake against Benjamin Cavet in the semi-final as I was pushing my limit with how fast I could ski, but to bounce back and put a really good small-final run down was very satisfying.”
 
Other Australians in action included NSWIS skiers Rohan Chapman-Davies 9th, Jakara Anthony 16th, Madi Himbury 24th, Brodie Summers 27th, Krystle Yin 28th, Claudia Gueli 32nd and James Matheson 39th.

Britt Cox has sustained her excellent World Cup season by winning her sixth Mogul Skiing World Cup gold medal at Tazawako, Japan.
 
Today’s win makes it six golds from eight World Cups, plus one bronze and only once missing the podium this season (in Val St. Come, Canada).
 
With just one World Cup remaining this season in China next week ahead of the World Championships in Spain on March 8, Britt’s dominance in ladies’ moguls is unassailable for the World Cup title and also a realistic chance to take out the Freestyle Skiing overall World Cup, which is determined across all Freestyle disciplines. 
 
Cox did not have today’s event all her own way – qualifying second and then again in the first final to Perrine Laffont from France.
 
However, by the medal round Cox was back on top scoring 78.57 to Laffont’s 78.36.
 
"Wow what a day and what a feeling to be on the top of the podium in Japan,” Cox said.
 
“This is my first time in Japan and I am amazed at how much the Japanese people love mogul skiing. It was so exciting having all the Japanese school kids cheering for us on the side of the course."

"I really wanted to pick up the intensity for the finals today, so I was really happy when I took a good chunk off my time in the finals. I think that's what got me to the top spot today."
 
Coach Steve ‘Des’ Desovich couldn’t be happier.  
 
"We are thrilled with Britt’s performance today as she was able to improve on each of her three runs throughout the day,” he said.
 
“Britt skied fast, jumped well and had very good turns to conclude a nice rounded performance between all three sectors. The conditions were tricky and it was a challenge due to changing weather and snow conditions but Britt adapted very well and advanced nicely throughout the day with no major errors."
 
The week-in week-out schedule for the mogul skiers could take its toll but the coach praised the fitness of Cox and the Australian squad for their continued success.
 
"It has been a long season thus far and we still have duals tomorrow and China next week - so really it just has to keep going whether you want a breather or not,” Desovich said.
 
“Britt’s improved strength and conditioning is really paying off at this time of the year and it’s nice to see her continue so strong"

Cox was joined in the first final by fellow Australians Jakara Anthony – who is headed to the Asian Winter Games next week, and Madii Himbury finishing 9th and 16th respectively.
 
"It's always fun when I have my Aussie girls in the finals with me, I'm stoked for Madii and Jakara today,” Cox said.

Matt Graham continued his strong form, finishing 5th. Graham is also enjoying a successful season, having been in the top six in the eight World Cups so far, collecting one gold and one silver along the way. Brodie Summers was the next placed Australian male making the first final and finishing 10th.
 
Other Australian results included Claudia Gueli 24th, Krystle Yin 28th, Rohan Chapman Davies 39th and James Matheson 41st.
 
The Dual Moguls will be competed tomorrow (Sunday) from 2.05pm. 

IMAGE: Britt Cox (middle) on top of the mogul skiing world for the sixth time this season in Tazawako, Japan. © IDone

The second-to-last stop on the 2016/17 FIS Freestyle moguls World Cup tour is on this weekend in Tazawako, Japan, with a full weekend of competition on Saturday, February 18, and dual moguls on Sunday.

Dominating the Ladies World Cup is Britt Cox who, though not totally in the clear with 605 points to second-overall Justine Dufour-Lapointe’s (CAN) 434, is in a strong position to take the first-ever moguls title for the Australian ladies’ squad. 

Cox comes into Tazawako fresh off wins at the Olympic test event last weekend in Phoenix Park, Korea.
Training mate Nicole Parks is unfortunately out due to injury but NSWIS skiers Jakara Anthony, Claudia Gueili, Maddi Himbury and Kyrstle Yin.   

Matt Graham and Brodie Summers are back in action with 22-year-old Graham seeking another podium after last week’s sixth place.

““I would have liked to have been a few spots higher, so next week I’ll just fix a few things up and put down some cleaner runs and hopefully the results will come through,” Graham said after the Olympic test event last weekend.

With less than a month left in the World Cup season, it’s time to look at the Freestyle Skiing overall World Cup standings, where each athlete’s points totals are divided by the number of competitions entered in the season to give an average score against which all other athletes can be compared fairly.

Looking at the 2016/17 overall rankings, it’s the moguls skiers leading the table at this stage.

With 605 points in seven events thus far, Cox’s overall score of 86.43 puts her well clear of second place ski cross athlete Marielle Thompson (CAN), giving Cox a strong chance of the biggest trophy in Freestyle. 

Should she hold on to take the overall globe, which last season was won by halfpipe and slopestyle skier Devin Logan of the USA),  it will be a truly remarkable accomplishment for the 22-year-old skier whose previous best rankings at season-end were 14th in moguls in 2013/14, and 57th on the overall list in 2014/15. 

Single moguls competition in Tazawako gets underway on Saturday with ladies qualifications beginning at 11.45am, followed by the men’s. Finals get underway at 3.30pm. Sunday’s dual moguls competition will see preliminary heats beginning just after 2pm  and the final heats squaring off at 3.30pm.

Australia’s Mogul Skiing team has descended on Korea’s Bokwang Phoenix Park for Saturday’s World Cup and PyeongChang 2018 Olympic test event.
 
It follows an epic weekend at Deer Valley (USA) in which Australian athletes prominently featured in the results, achieving podium finishes in both the single and dual events.
 
Britt Cox retains the yellow leader’s bib after her Deer Valley form secured gold in the dual moguls and bronze in the single event. The 22-year-old has three World Cup wins under her belt this season and is looking to further grow her medal tally this weekend. 
 
Brodie Summers won bronze in the men’s dual event and is hoping for a second notable performance in as many weeks.
 
“Coaches from other teams on tour have been coming up to me and shaking my hand,” Summers said. “They were really impressed with my skiing.”
 
The result was Summers’ first World Cup podium and the 23-year old has been feeling the love from his friends and family back in Australia.
 
“Social media went nuts for a few days. I was constantly replying to messages and comments,” he said.
 
“Nice to be rewarded and see the hard work I’ve put in during the off-season is starting to shine through. Deer Valley is one of the toughest courses in the world so it’s definitely motivated me even more for the backend of the season.”
 
Summers says it’s a great feeling to be in South Korea for one year to go celebrations.
 
“You can sense the excitement around the hotel at the moment.”
 
“It gets you fired up and makes you want to lay it down this week,” he said.
 
“The main thing is getting a good feel for the venue and the course and what’s it’s going to be like in 12 months-time. We’re trying to take in as much as possible and get all the baseline prep work done.”
 
The Sochi Olympian recently changed his training tactics and says the new strategy is paying dividends.
 
“There’s been a big emphasis from my coaches on completion percentage training,” Summers said.
 
“It’s basically performance on demand,” he explained. “Every day I would have to sign-off on my completion percentage and we tracked that over an entire training camp.
 
“It was definitely a strenuous and intense style of training because you have to put your signature next to your performance and you have to stand by what you’ve done. While it was confronting it was also what I needed and I praise my coaches Des (Steve Desovich) and Jerry (Grossi) for making me do that.
 
“I think it’s been really helpful for me and given me a lot of confidence over the last few events. It makes me feel grounded and I trust myself and know what I need to do on the day.”
 
The Bokwang Moguls World Cup will commence Saturday with women’s qualification at 3:20pm (local time), followed by men’s qualification at 5:05pm. Finals will be held under lights beginning at 7pm (local time).  
 
Australia has nine athletes competing at the event:  
 
Male:
Matt Graham
Brodie Summers
Rohan Chapman-Davies
James Matheson
 
Female:
Britt Cox
Madii Himbury
Jakara Anthony
Claudia Gueli
Krystal Yin
 
OWI athlete Nicole Parks won't start the event due to the knee injury sustained in Deer Valley. 

PYEONGCHANG 2018: The countdown is well and truly on to the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games with only one year to go until Australia take on the world’s best in South Korea.

A strong start to the World Cup season has seen a number of Australian athletes claim podium finishes and confidence is growing that the sunburnt nation can add another successful chapter to its Winter Olympic history book.

“We’re exactly where we want to be a year out from the Games,” Australian Winter Olympic Team Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman said.

“We have a wide range of athletes who are having success on the world stage and we would love to find ourselves in the same position in twelve months’ time.”

Australia will look to send a team of approximately 60 athletes to PyeongChang where they will compete against athletes from close to 100 nations in 12 venues across the region.

The Organising Committee is well on track to deliver an exciting and efficient Games and will host a number of test events throughout February and March.

“PyeongChang has an excellent set of venues to showcase all of the Olympic sports,” continued Chesterman who has just returned from a planning visit to PyeongChang.

“The Organising Committee has pulled together a compact Games that will provide a great stage to perform on which is exactly what you want.

“Many of our athletes will get the chance to get accustomed to the Olympic venues over the next few weeks as they continue to build towards success in a years’ time.”

Australia continues to grow in stature on the world stage in winter sports with a number of athletes now becoming regular medallists in world class competitions.

Among those who’ve had a strong start to the Winter Olympic season is dual Olympic Moguls skier Britt Cox who currently leads the world standings.

“I am really happy with my skiing at the moment and stoked on my results so far this season,” said the 22-year-old who is currently in PyeongChang preparing for the test event.

“There is always something to work on though so I’ll be busy developing those skills over the next 12 months in the lead up to PyeongChang.

“We always have an excellent culture in the mogul team and I also love seeing the Aussie athletes from different disciplines laying it down at various locations around the world.

“We see aerials or snowboard-cross athletes have a great event and then we’re like ‘we have to match it in our competition this week’.”

Four-time Olympian and dual Olympic aerials medallist Lydia Lassila recently returned to competition following her bronze medal performance at the Sochi 2014 Games and has already added another World Cup gold to her impressive resume.

Having achieved just about everything in the sport the lure of a fifth Olympic appearance was just too much to pass up for the 2010 Olympic Champion.

“Time away from the sport always brings perspective and for me, it was clear, I just missed it and still have the love and drive to do it which is why I’m here,” Lassila said.

While she has been focused on getting back to her best Lassila has kept a keen eye on her Australian teammates competing across the world.

“It’s been really motivating and inspirational for me to see so much success within winter sport this season.

“I think we are in the best position we’ve ever been in. We may not be a large team but we have a broad range of high quality athletes.”

Lassila and her teammates continued success has helped elevate winter disciplines into the mainstream of Australian sport and Chesterman believes this can only help strengthen Australia’s standing in the future.

“We have a highly credentialed team across a broad range of sports which provides motivation to the athletes coming through the ranks to continue in their sport.

“It is important for our current athletes to continue to be role models as without that aspiration for the younger athletes we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

Australian athletes are likely to feature in alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross country skiing, figure skating, freestyle skiing (aerials, moguls, ski cross & slopestyle), luge, skeleton and snowboard (slopestyle, halfpipe, snowboard cross & big air) in PyeongChang.

t is in these competitions where Australia will look to continue their Winter Olympic medal winning run that has seen Aussie athletes stand on the podium at every Games since Lillehammer 1994.

After winning three medals at the most recent Games in Sochi, Australia has now won 12 Winter Olympic medals with Lassila, Steven Bradbury, Alisa Camplin, Dale Begg-Smith and Torah Bright all becoming Olympic Champions.

The 23rd edition of the Winter Olympic Games will run from February 9-25, 2017.