Australia has recorded one of its most successful days in winter sports World Cup competition, with four medals won overnight across three different sports.
The medals started in Finland with aerial skiers Danielle Scott winning gold and teammate Laura Peel close behind in the silver medal position, Jakara Anthony claiming bronze in Sweden and finally Bree Walker taking home silver in Germany.
Jakara Anthony captured back to back mogul skiing podiums with a bronze medal performance at the Idre Fjäll ski resort in Sweden and first place on the World Cup standings. Anthony will wear the yellow leaders bib tomorrow for the first time in her career.
“It’s incredible to go back to back podiums to start the season off in Ruka and now here in Idre Fjäll, it’s very exciting” said the 23-year-old from Barwon Heads in Victoria.
We have a lots of events going on this year before we even get to the Olympics, and to start the season off so strong and to feel like I am in a really good place has given me a lot of confidence moving forward.”
2018 Olympic silver medallist Matt Graham was unable to compete in finals, after suffering a shoulder injury in training. Graham has since been assessed and is likely to require surgery in the coming days.
Bree Walker won her third straight monobob medal of the season, finishing in second place at the IBSF World Series event in Winterberg, Germany.
Walker is currently ranked fifth on the women’s monobob standings, with the sport to debut at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
“I am so proud of all the Australian athletes out there kicking butt, and be part of the elite team that is bringing home some hardware for Australia” said 29-year-old from Queensland.
“Happy with the result, the aim was to be on the podium here, but I wasn’t too sure what was possible, training was going really well during the week and to execute on race day is always really exciting.”
The double podium performance by ‘Flying Kangaroos’ Scott and Peel in Ruka, Finland, was the first since January 2018, when Lydia Lassila and Laura Peel won medals in back-to-back aerial skiing World Cup events.
“Walking away with the gold today feels pretty amazing” said Scott, the 31-year-old double World Championship medallist.
“To have a teammate on the podium is pretty special, we have a pretty awesome team dynamic right now, and it’s even sweeter I guess.”
Australia can add further to the medal haul tonight in Europe, with World Cup events taking place in dual moguls and Bree Walker racing in the two-woman bobsleigh with breakwoman Kiara Reddingius.
