The FIS Freestyle World Cup returns to Almaty
Mar 07, 2024·Freestyle
The FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup is making its much-anticipated return to Almaty, and this year, from March 8th to 10th, the action-packed event is set to light up the breathtaking slopes of Shymbulak Ski Resort. This promises an unforgettable spectacle in aerials and a critical showdown in single moguls. Additionally, we're ramping up the excitement with the season's penultimate dual moguls competition, setting the stage for a thrilling lead-up to the final clash in Chiesa in Valmalenco.
As we gear up for the fifth edition of the World Cup in Almaty, anticipation is sky-high. The resort, which has previously hosted four World Cup editions and the memorable 2021 World Championships, is no stranger to the spotlight. Each event has left us awe-struck, and this year is set to raise the bar even higher.
Shymbulak isn't just a venue; it's the heart of freestyle skiing in Central Asia. It boasts the "Yuka G" moguls course, with its starting gate at an impressive 2,750 meters above sea level—the highest of any on the World Cup tour—and a spectacular aerials venue right at the bottom of the resort’s middle station. Surrounded by the towering peaks of the Tien Shan mountains, athletes are challenged not just by their competitors but by the breathtaking landscape itself.
This year's focus is on wrapping up the aerials and single moguls season with a flourish, while the dual moguls competition offers athletes a penultimate chance to shine and climb the rankings before the overall moguls title is decided next week. The stakes are high, and the competition fierce, as we head into these final battles.
The Focus on the Crystal Globes
With the aerials and single moguls season coming to a close this weekend, the focus is naturally on the final battles for the coveted crystal globes, with aerials awards also including Rookies of the Year as well as Nation Cup awards.
In moguls, Jakara Anthony (AUS) is coming into the event having secured both moguls and overall moguls globes and basically needs only one more solid result in duals to clinch the moguls World Cup hat-trick. Furthermore, with 11 wins already in the season, Anthony is currently tied in first place for the moguls all-time victories in a single season along with Hannah Kearney, so besides receiving her well-earned small globe in single moguls, and possibly also securing the dual moguls title, we’re excited to see if the Australian moguls star can add another milestone to her impressive record this season.
It also looks like the US team will end the season with two spots on the final single moguls podium as Jaelin Kauf and Olivia Giaccio have a rather comfortable advantage with just one single event left in the season. And just in case it doesn’t go to plan for one of them, Hannah Soar is sitting in fourth, 40 points behind Giaccio, and we’re sure she hasn’t just hung up her gloves.
With Rino Yanagimoto (JPN) not competing in Almaty, theoretically, Hinako Tomitaka (JPN) still has a small chance of getting on the final moguls podium, but sitting 98 points behind Giaccio in the standings, her chances are purely mathematical.
Moving over to the men’s side of things, it’s going to be an epic matchup between Horishima and Kingsbury as the long-season battle between the two enters its final phase. We haven’t seen such a contested battle for the title since the shortened 2021 COVID-affected season, which saw Kingsbury out of contention due to his injury, and before that in 2014 when Kingsbury won the globe after a highly contested battle against Alex Bilodeau.
Ahead of the final competition in Almaty, it’s Horishima leading the standings with 530 points, 30 points ahead of Kingsbury. So, the ‘King of Moguls’ not only needs to win the competition on Friday but also needs Horishima to finish not higher than third if he wants to claim his career’s 25th World Cup title on Friday.
Since 2019, Horishima has stood on the season’s final podium in second place eight times, trailing Kingsbury. This weekend, it’s him coming into the final moguls showdown in a better spot. The pressure will surely be high, and we can’t wait to witness who will emerge victorious. One thing is certain, you don’t want to miss this one out - it’s going to be epic.
When looking for the names to round out the men’s moguls podium, the highest chances go to Filip Granvefors (SWE), currently sitting in fourth. But with his teammate Walter Wallberg, skipping the rest of the season as the 2022 Olympic Winter Champion is still struggling with his knee injury, it’s Granvefors who needs a decent result to finish the season in the top-3.
The Aerials Grand Finale
The FIS Freestyle World Cup weekend in Almaty will wrap up on Sunday with the season’s final aerials competition, and the anticipation is sky-high as the battle for the globe is still wide open for both women and men.
On the women’s side, it will all go down to the final clash between Winter Vinecki (USA) and Danielle Scott (AUS) with only 12 points separating them in the standings, and we’re hoping for another exciting battle. Will it be Vinecki’s triple flips or Scott’s perfect execution on doubles? Only time will tell, but their recent matchups in Lac-Beauport (CAN), with the yellow bib going back to Danielle Scott in the first event, just to come back to Vinecki on the second day of competition, promises that the final event of the season will definitely be worth watching.
As for who will take the third spot on the podium, it’s hard to tell, as there are exactly seven athletes with enough talent and determination to shine bright on Sunday including Chen Meiting (CHN), Marion Thenault (CAN), Kaila Kuhn (USA), Karenna Elliott (USA), Abbey Willcox (AUS), Emma Weiss (GER), and Kasia Tanner (USA). And with the unpredictability of aerial skiing, anything can happen, so we’re excited to see who will end up with a clutch performance in Almaty.
Things are equally exciting on the men’s side, with the Chinese duo of Qi Guangpu and Wang Xindi leading the way in the standings ahead of Almaty’s event.
The 2022 Olympic Champion Qi has a rather comfortable advantage sitting 70 points ahead of his teammate, and he will be motivated to fight for his career’s third World Cup title. Despite a heavy crash three weeks ago in Canada, Qi was looking sharp in training, and we should see him in full force on Sunday.
Xindi also looks more than ready to take on the challenge, as does Pirmin Werner (SUI), who currently sits in third.
Similarly to what we’ve seen in the women’s event, the men’s field is pretty stacked with numerous athletes still in the game to fight for the season’s top-3, including Christopher Lillis (USA), Zhang Yifan (CHN), Alexandre Duchaine (CAN), Conner Curran (USA), Li Tianma (CHN), Lewis Irwing (CAN), and finally Dmytro Kotovskyi (UKR). All in all, the season’s final aerials competition shapes up to be a really good one.
With a slight adjustment to the competition program, all events in Almaty have been moved ahead by one hour, with Friday’s moguls event kicking off with women’s qualifications at 9:45 local time, men’s qualifications at 11:30, and finals at 13:30. Dual moguls are scheduled for Saturday with preliminary rounds set for 11:25 and finals once again at 13:30. Sunday will see the final aerials competition of the season getting underway with women’s qualifications at 9:15, men’s qualifications following up at 11:30, and the finals at 13:30.
WATCH LIVE
Live streaming from FINALS will also be accessible on our YouTube channel - MOGULS, DUAL MOGULS & AERIALS.
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:
Almaty World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc.)
