Anthony and Kingsbury triumph in Almaty’s Dual Moguls
Mar 09, 2024·Freestyle
The ‘Yuka G’ course at Almaty’s Shymbulak Mountain Resort was the stage for another spectacular day of competition. Following the season’s exhilarating final single moguls event on Friday, Saturday’s duals brought their own share of thrills, with Jakara Anthony (AUS) and Mikael Kingsbury (CAN) claiming significant victories and, in doing so, securing the dual moguls titles.
Fresh from setting a new all-time record for the most wins in a single season on Friday, Jakara Anthony maintained her extraordinary momentum by securing her 13th win of the season in a closely contested 18 to 17 dual against Jaelin Kauf (USA). This victory not only awarded Anthony the dual moguls crystal globe but also allowed her to complete the moguls hat-trick, capturing all three moguls titles in the 2023/24 season. This marks a truly remarkable achievement in what is one of the most dominant campaigns ever witnessed in the history of the moguls World Cup.
Despite finishing behind Anthony in the big final for the fourth time this season, Kauf clinched her runner-up position for the season in dual moguls, thanks to one victory, four runner-up finishes, and one third place, with one final event still to go in the 2023/24 season.
The third-place spot on the day was claimed by Olivia Giaccio (USA), who narrowly defeated her teammate Tess Johnson (USA) in the small final matchup. This was Giaccio’s fifth top-3 finish in duals this season, and like Kauf, she also secured her third-place finish in the final dual moguls standings.
On the men’s side of the competition, Mikael Kingsbury celebrated his 150th World Cup start and set the record for the most moguls World Cup appearances by notching up his 89th World Cup win in a dramatic showdown with home crowd favorite Pavel Kolmakov (KAZ) in Almaty. This victory not only secured Kingsbury the dual moguls globe but also the overall moguls globe, bringing his total to 26 World Cup titles and reinforcing his status as the ‘King of Moguls’.
A special mention goes to Pavel Kolmakov for his outstanding performance and his first top-3 finish of the year, made even more memorable by the support of the enthusiastic home fans.
Third place was awarded to Landon Wendler, who achieved his career’s first podium finish in the World Cup by triumphing over Severi Vierela (FIN) in an exciting small final matchup. Despite missing out on the podium, Vierela achieved his career’s best result with a fourth-place finish. The performances of both Wendler and Vierela add an exciting dimension to the anticipation for the next competition in Italy.
The competition in Italy promises to be highly entertaining. While the women’s side has settled the top-3 positions for both dual moguls and overall moguls, the men’s side presents an intriguing scenario. With Ikuma Horishima (JPN) missing the second competition in Almaty due to minor knee issues, and likely to miss the upcoming event in Chiesa in Valmalenco, suddenly five athletes are in contention to finish in the top-3 of the dual moguls standings as the season concludes next week.
Before we turn our attention to Italy, the FIS Freestyle World Cup action shifts to the aerials venue, where the final aerials competition of the 2023/24 season this Sunday is set to deliver some thrilling conclusions.
Quick links:
Almaty World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc.)
Photo: MOGULS
