Jacqui Cooper has completed a fairytale return to the top of the aerial skiing world, winning the final event of the season in Apex, Canada, to claim the fourth World Cup title of her career. Cooper overcame a landing fall on her first jump to win her third event for the season, and also become the greatest winner in the history of women's aerial skiing with 19 victories. She is also the first woman to win four World Cup titles.
Jacqui Cooper has completed a fairytale return to the top of the aerial skiing world, winning the final event of the season in Apex, Canada, to claim the fourth World Cup title of her career.
Cooper overcame a landing fall on her first jump to win her third event for the season, and also become the greatest winner in the history of women's aerial skiing with 19 victories.
She is also the first woman to win four World Cup titles.
The result caps a remarkable weekend for Australian winter sports, with Dale Begg-Smith also winning in Apex, Davina Williams collecting silver in skiing halfpipe at the same venue, Andrew Burton making his first World Cup podium in Sungwoo, Korea, and Torah Bright winning the snowboard halfpipe at the Nippon Open in Bandai, Japan.
Cooper posted a total score of 198.73 points to defeat Chinese aerialist Shuang Cheng on 195.63 points and her team-mate Nina Li on 192.99 points
The result gave the 34-year-old Mt Buller skier 475 points for the season, 55 clear of Li on 420, with Torino gold medallist Evelyne Leu in third place on 274 points.
Cooper's opening jump in the final, a triple twisting triple somersault was high quality in the air, but after holding the landing momentarily she plunged forward into the snow.
In spite of the fall, the jump was scored at 95.37 points, and she finished the round in second place behind Xinxin Guo of China, but 0.79 ahead of her main rival for the World Cup title, Nina Li.
In the final round of jumping Cooper got the landing right, putting down a double twisting triple somersault that scored 103.36 points, lifting her well clear of Li who could only manage a 96.23 for her second jump.
Cooper was understandably delighted to get back to the position she had occupied for three years between 1999 and 2001, holding the World Cup crystal globe.
"Everything worked really well today," Cooper said.
"My performance in training was just the best I've done in my lifetime. I was so happy with how my jumping was going I was really relaxed going into the event."
"On the first jump I went in a bit slow and overstretched, then stood up and hung on for a bit on the landing but then went forward onto my stomach.
"But it was pretty nice in the air so they scored it very well."
"The second jump wasn't a great jump but I knew I didn't really have to do a lot by then to beat Nina."
"It was pretty tough conditions today with the snow and the wind, but we did great getting our speeds right."
"This is by far the most rewarding globe for me."
"When I won the others I had so much higher degree of difficulty than the rest of the girls and it was just a matter of do the jump, land and you'll win",
"This time it has been much more competitive, and there's been much more pressure on me to perform."
"And the fact that is has taken so long to get back with the injuries, the time out of the sport and the disappointment of Torino - this is going down in the books as my favourite thing ever."
Cooper's Olympic Winter Institute team-mate Liz Gardner was unlucky to miss the final by just one place, dragging a hand on her qualification jump.
She finished in 11th place.
Cooper and Gardner will now compete in the World Freestyle Championships in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, on March 10.
Cooper overcame a landing fall on her first jump to win her third event for the season, and also become the greatest winner in the history of women's aerial skiing with 19 victories.
She is also the first woman to win four World Cup titles.
The result caps a remarkable weekend for Australian winter sports, with Dale Begg-Smith also winning in Apex, Davina Williams collecting silver in skiing halfpipe at the same venue, Andrew Burton making his first World Cup podium in Sungwoo, Korea, and Torah Bright winning the snowboard halfpipe at the Nippon Open in Bandai, Japan.
Cooper posted a total score of 198.73 points to defeat Chinese aerialist Shuang Cheng on 195.63 points and her team-mate Nina Li on 192.99 points
The result gave the 34-year-old Mt Buller skier 475 points for the season, 55 clear of Li on 420, with Torino gold medallist Evelyne Leu in third place on 274 points.
Cooper's opening jump in the final, a triple twisting triple somersault was high quality in the air, but after holding the landing momentarily she plunged forward into the snow.
In spite of the fall, the jump was scored at 95.37 points, and she finished the round in second place behind Xinxin Guo of China, but 0.79 ahead of her main rival for the World Cup title, Nina Li.
In the final round of jumping Cooper got the landing right, putting down a double twisting triple somersault that scored 103.36 points, lifting her well clear of Li who could only manage a 96.23 for her second jump.
Cooper was understandably delighted to get back to the position she had occupied for three years between 1999 and 2001, holding the World Cup crystal globe.
"Everything worked really well today," Cooper said.
"My performance in training was just the best I've done in my lifetime. I was so happy with how my jumping was going I was really relaxed going into the event."
"On the first jump I went in a bit slow and overstretched, then stood up and hung on for a bit on the landing but then went forward onto my stomach.
"But it was pretty nice in the air so they scored it very well."
"The second jump wasn't a great jump but I knew I didn't really have to do a lot by then to beat Nina."
"It was pretty tough conditions today with the snow and the wind, but we did great getting our speeds right."
"This is by far the most rewarding globe for me."
"When I won the others I had so much higher degree of difficulty than the rest of the girls and it was just a matter of do the jump, land and you'll win",
"This time it has been much more competitive, and there's been much more pressure on me to perform."
"And the fact that is has taken so long to get back with the injuries, the time out of the sport and the disappointment of Torino - this is going down in the books as my favourite thing ever."
Cooper's Olympic Winter Institute team-mate Liz Gardner was unlucky to miss the final by just one place, dragging a hand on her qualification jump.
She finished in 11th place.
Cooper and Gardner will now compete in the World Freestyle Championships in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, on March 10.
