Anthony continues winning streak, Kingsbury claims redemption
Jan 28, 2024·Freestyle
The Waterville Valley Resort was abuzz with excitement for the second day of back-to-back events, featuring the dual moguls competition. Blessed with favorable weather, the event saw Jakara Anthony extend her incredible winning streak in the women's category, while Mikael Kingsbury claimed a redeeming victory in the men's event.
On the women's side, Jakara Anthony continued her phenomenal season with back-to-back wins at Waterville, marking her eighth consecutive and tenth total victory this season. The super final against crowd favorite and Friday's runner-up, Jaelin Kauf (USA), was particularly intense. Kauf, known for her speed, put significant pressure on Anthony from the start, gaining a slight lead after the top air. However, Anthony, in her signature style, methodically closed the gap, ultimately winning the big final matchup 18-17. With ten victories this season, Anthony is now just one win shy of tying Hannah Kearney's freestyle record for the most wins in a single season.
Kauf secured the runner-up spot again, notching her seventh top-3 finish of the 2023/24 season. Olivia Giaccio (USA) claimed third place, edging out compatriot Tess Johnson in the small final and marking her sixth podium this season.
In the men's event, Mikael Kingsbury bounced back from his third-place finish the previous day. His performance was a statement of redemption, as he had been visibly disappointed with losing ground in the World Cup standings to Ikuma Horishima (JPN), the only athlete this season posing a real challenge to the Canadian.
The big final saw Kingsbury and Horishima go head-to-head, but Horishima couldn't match Kingsbury's pace, slipping in the middle section and leaving Kingsbury to claim a convincing victory. Kingsbury's win on Saturday was his 86th career World Cup victory, tying him with legendary alpine racer Ingemar Stenmark for the most men's World Cup wins. With five more events this season, Kingsbury is on track to soon lead this ranking outright.
Horishima finished second, capping off his weekend in Waterville with a victory and a runner-up position. Walter Wallberg took third place, narrowly defeating teammate Filip Gravenfors in the small final.
The FIS Freestyle World Cup tour now heads west to Deer Valley for the season's moguls and aerials highlight event, set to take place under the lights from February 1-3. This next stop promises more thrilling action as the world's best skiers continue to showcase their talents on the global stage.
Quick links:
Waterville World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc.)
