Australia's Cooper Woods achieved a stunning upset in the men's moguls competition at the Olympics, claiming the gold medal. According to snowbrains.com, the 25-year-old's victory was particularly remarkable, given he had never previously won a World Cup event.
Woods entered the finals after competing in the second qualifying round, where he secured a spot alongside teammates like Harvey Jackson and American athletes Charlie Mickel and Landon Wendler, according to snowbrains.com.
The final round saw the top 20 skiers narrowed down to eight. Woods advanced to the finals in first place, followed by notable competitors such as:
- Mikael Kingsbury (Canada): A mogul skiing legend with 100 World Cup victories and the 2018 Olympic gold medal.
- Matt Graham (Australia): The 2018 Olympic silver medalist.
- Walter Wallberg (Sweden): The 2022 Olympic champion.
- Ikuma Horishima (Japan): A three-time World Champion.
The final runs were a mix of impressive tricks and minor errors. Jackson, Viel, and Page set the stage before Horishima took the lead with a score of 83.44, thanks to a back double full and a cork-1440. Wallberg followed closely behind, but Kingsbury ultimately took the lead with 83.71 points, according to snowbrains.com.
Woods matched Kingsbury's score of 83.71. The tie was broken based on turn scores, awarding the gold to Woods. The rule sparked debate among Canadians, but the decision stood, according to snowbrains.com.
Woods described his win as surreal, stating, "It hasn’t sunk in yet. Speechless, super emotional, very proud," according to snowbrains.com.
The mogul skiing events continued with the women’s and men’s dual moguls competitions in Livigno.
