FREESTYLE SKIING - MOGULS: Fresh off the back of a water ramp training camp in Lilydale, Australia’s moguls squad arrives in Finland today ahead of the World Cup season.

The Finnish city of Ruka will play host to the first World Cup this northern hemisphere winter and the Australian squad will complete three weeks of training ahead of the competition.

With the World Cup season holding added importance ahead of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, Australian Head Coach of Mogul Skiing Steve Desovich said the squad was building nicely.

“The camp in Lilydale was designed to polish their existing competition jumps,” Desovich said. “Training in Ruka will be a combination of groomed, easy moguls, jumps and then ultimately the actual course to prepare for the event on December 14.”

Britteny Cox has led results for the Australian women’s squad throughout 2013, which included World Cup bronze at Lake Placid in January and a 10th place at the World Championships in Norway in March. Cox will be joined in Finland by Nicole Parks and Taylah O’Neill.

The Australian men’s squad have all enjoyed a strong year with Matt Graham, Sam Hall and Brodie Summers finishing 4th, 6th and 7th respectively at the 2013 World Championships in Norway.

Dual Olympic medallist Dale Begg-Smith also returned to training earlier this season and will be aiming to make his third Australian Olympic Winter team.

“Dale has prepared well and with time, can become comfortable in competition again and demonstrate his technical proficiency with all aspects of his skiing,” Desovich said.

“The competition in the lead up to the Olympic Winter Games is fierce and represents the absolute apex of our sport as skiers vie for spots within the quota system of the respective countries.”

Australia can qualify a maximum of four athletes in men’s moguls. Athletes qualify by recording a top 30 result in World Cup or World Championships and have met the minimum FIS points of 80, between July 2012 and end of qualification period – 19 January.

Graham, Hall and Summers are all currently well placed to make the Australian team, while strong performances from Begg-Smith over the World Cup season could secure him the fourth quota place.

Desovich said he expected strong performances across the whole field come the first World Cup in Finland.

“It’s a long season and hopefully the team can improve day to day with skills and week to week with performances,” Desovich said. “The moguls program is very fortunate to enjoy the support of the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Institute of Sport and this has us well positioned ahead of Sochi.”