Jakara Anthony from Australia clinched the gold medal in the women’s freestyle skiing dual moguls event at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Saturday, making a strong comeback following a disappointing performance in the single-format moguls competition.
Jaelin Kauf of the United States secured the silver medal, while the bronze was claimed by American Elizabeth Lemley in the picturesque northern Italian town of Livigno.
Dual moguls, a newly introduced sport at the Olympics, features skiers competing in a head-to-head elimination format, racing side by side through parallel bump fields. The athletes’ speed, turns, and aerial maneuvers all play crucial roles in determining the winner.
Anthony narrowly edged out Kauf at the finish line, awaiting the judges’ final assessment. Upon realizing she had scored 20 points compared to Kauf’s 15, Anthony joyfully raised her arms in celebration, surrounded by cheering Australian fans waving yellow inflatable kangaroos.
During the medal ceremony, Anthony beamed with pride as she became the first Australian to secure two Winter Olympics gold medals.
In the dual moguls event, three out of four Canadian participants won their 1/16 matchups before facing defeat in the 1/8 finals. Saskatoon’s Maïa Schwinghammer emerged victorious against France’s Marie Duaux with a 21-14 score before succumbing to France’s Perrine Laffont in the 1/8 final, also by a 21-14 margin.
Vancouver’s Jessica Linton triumphed over Ayaulym Amrenova from Kazakhstan with a 21-14 score in the 1/16 round but faced a tough challenge against Anthony in the 1/8 stage, losing with a score of 27-8.
Ashley Koehler from Lac-Beauport, Quebec, dominated her 1/16 matchup against China’s Li Ruilin with a 35-0 victory but was defeated in the 1/8 final clash by Lemley with a score of 25-10.
Sainte-Adèle, Quebec’s Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert fell short in her 1/16 final against American Tess Johnson, losing with a score of 22-13.
