Deer Valley prepares for its annual freestyle extravaganza
Feb 01, 2024·Freestyle
The FIS Freestyle World Cup is gearing up for action this week at one of freestyle skiing's longest-running and most prestigious venues, Deer Valley Resort (USA), where the 2024 Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International moguls, dual moguls, and aerials World Cup competitions will take place from February 1 to 3.
This year's Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International marks the 26th year that Deer Valley Resort has hosted international freestyle skiing competitions. It includes the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, the 2003, 2011, and 2019 World Championships, as well as 21 editions of the Deer Valley World Cup freestyle extravaganza. In fact, when you tally it all up, there have been more than 100 competitions across men's and women's moguls, dual moguls, and aerials World Cup events, making it the venue with the most competitions in freestyle skiing history. This impressive number stands as a testament to the exceptional organization and facilities at Deer Valley.
There are several intriguing storylines unfolding in Deer Valley as we approach the halfway mark of the season in both aerials and moguls World Cup standings. Numerous athletes are vying for the crystal globes, making this season's freestyle highlight event brim with history-making opportunities. Let's highlight some of the most significant ones to anticipate in the upcoming moguls events on the Champion Run and the aerials showdown on the White Owl.
Starting with the moguls, it's essential to mention Mikael Kingsbury, who recently tied the legendary record of Swedish alpine racer Ingamar Stenmark with his 86th World Cup victory. With two chances in Deer Valley this week, Kingsbury has a significant opportunity to become the athlete with the most World Cup wins across all FIS Olympic disciplines. Considering his remarkable record of 14 victories at Deer Valley, dating back to 2012, it's reasonable to expect that the record-breaking win may happen this week. Kingsbury has added motivation as he currently sits in second place in the single moguls ranking and has ground to make up.
Of course, he will face fierce competition, led by the current moguls World Cup leader, Ikuma Horishima (JPN), Walter Wallberg (SWE), Benjamin Cavet (FRA), and Matt Graham (AUS), all of whom have fond memories and strong results on Champion Run.
On the women's side, Jakara Anthony aims to secure her 11th win of the season on Thursday, which could potentially break the all-time freestyle record held by US moguls legend Hannah Kearney for the most World Cup wins in a single season with 11 victories. The US women's team is determined to challenge Anthony's streak, as they have claimed over 50% of podium spots this season. Mathematically speaking, fans can be confident they will see a US athlete on the podium during one of the moguls events.
The aerials competition is filled with exciting stories this season. After a break of more than a month since the last competition in December, the teams have been working hard in training, showing off some impressive skills. Dmytro Kotovskyi (UKR), last year's champion at Deer Valley, recently pulled off an incredible Full-Full triple Full move. While he won't try it in the competition on Friday, Kotovskyi has another trick in his bag, known as the "Hurricane," which helped him clinch victory in Deer Valley last year and could secure him another win this season.
Pirmin Werner, the current World Cup leader, has also successfully executed the "Hurricane" (Full triple Full-Full), joining an elite group alongside Kotovskyi and the legendary Jaret "Speedy" Peterson. The competition is fierce, with other top contenders like Noe Roth, the fan-favorite Christopher Lillis (USA), and the 2022 Olympic Champion, Qi Guangpu (CHN), all aiming for the top spot.
Unfortunately, there's some sad news as Quinn Dehlinger (USA) suffered a severe injury, tearing his ACL and meniscus. This means he won't be able to compete for the rest of the season. Our thoughts are with Quinn, and we wish him a speedy recovery.
On the women's side, Winter Vinecki (USA) is leading the aerials World Cup rankings with her impressive triple flips. Her teammate, Kaila Kuhn, is getting ready to attempt her first competition triple flips in front of the home crowd on Friday. Additionally, the reigning World Cup champion, Danielle Scott, might stick to doubles, but her skill in executing them makes her a strong contender for victory in every competition. Marion Thenault (CAN), who recently returned from a break after a significant crash in Ruka, is expected to make a strong comeback in Deer Valley, and we can't wait to see what she has in store for us this weekend.
Stay tuned for the best opportunity to watch all the live action and follow our social media channels for the latest updates.
The moguls competition will take place on Thursday, with finals starting at 19:30 MST. Aerials finals are scheduled for Friday at 19:30, and the event concludes with dual moguls on Saturday, also at 19:30.
WATCH LIVE
Live streaming from FINALS will also be accessible on our YouTube channel - MOGULS, AERIALS & DUAL MOGULS.
Please note that due to broadcasting rights restrictions, live streaming availability may be limited in certain regions. However, the livestream is accessible in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Singapore, and South Korea.
Quick links:
Deer Valley World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc.)
Aerials World Cup standings: WOMEN / MEN
