Canadian freestyle skier Mikaël Kingsbury clinched the silver medal in the men’s moguls final at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games, narrowly missing out on the gold. The 33-year-old athlete from Deux-Montagnes, Quebec, attained a score of 83.71 at Livigno Air Park, tying with Australia’s Cooper Woods.
In moguls scoring, turns contribute 60% of the score, while jumps and speed each make up 20%. Woods outperformed Kingsbury in the turns element with a score of 48.40 to 47.70, securing his unexpected triumph against the acclaimed skier.
Expressing his feelings about the competition, Kingsbury stated, “I feel amazing. I’m very happy with my skiing. It was close, a tiebreak – unfortunately, I’m the guy not on the good side of it. But I’ve worked very hard for this medal.”
Japan’s Ikuma Horishima claimed the bronze medal with a score of 83.44 points, while Quebec City’s Julien Viel finished in sixth place with 79.78 points.
This achievement marks Kingsbury’s fourth Olympic medal, following his gold at PyeongChang 2018 and two silver medals from Sochi 2014 and Beijing 2022. He now holds the record as the first male freestyle skier with four Olympic medals.
Reflecting on his performance, Kingsbury expressed mixed emotions. Initially disappointed, he later smiled while proudly displaying his medal on the podium. Despite his injury and age, he credited his team’s support for his successful return to top-level skiing.
Woods’ victory over Kingsbury was unexpected, as the Australian skier had limited World Cup podium finishes compared to Kingsbury’s extensive record. Woods, overwhelmed with emotion, expressed his pride and disbelief at beating the moguls legend.
Quebec City’s Julien Viel finished in sixth place, while Elliot Vaillancourt from Drummondville, Quebec, placed 14th in the first round of the final, missing out on a medal opportunity. Kingsbury and his team will have another shot at medals during the men’s dual moguls event on February 15.