Begg-Smith was the last competitor in the event and went past Finland’s Mikko Ronkainen to claim victory. Begg-Smith received a score of 26.77 to edge Ronkainen’s 26.62.
The key to the win was Begg-Smith’s turns. He received a score of 14.50 for his turns, 0.70 more than any of his competitors. The judges also awarded him 6.38 for his air and 5.89 for time of 22.68.
The result is a dream come true for Begg-Smith.
“It’s unbelievable, just awesome, it’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” he said. “When I was eight I saw the Olympics and decided to start mogul skiing because it looked cool.”
Begg-Smith, who was the last skier due the fact he was the highest placed qualifier, felt that worked to his advantage. “I was happy to be last because I got to see everyone else,” he said. “It was the best run I could do at the time.
They were good runs out there. I made sure I didn’t make any mistakes. I control what I do. When I train I’m not nervous and I wasn’t nervous today.”
Begg-Smith is Australia’s third gold medallist in Winter Olympic history, joining Steve Bradbury (short track) and Alisa Camplin (freestyle aerials) in 2002.
