Anthony returns with Ruka win as Australians take double
Dec 08, 2025·Freestyle
For much of last season, Jakara Anthony (AUS) watched on from home as teammates and rivals skied down hill after hill on the World Cup circuit.
The 27-year-old was forced to sit out most of the season, after suffering an injury during a training run in Idre Fjäll in Sweden.
The agonising wait required patience and perhaps, most of all, called for self-belief. But while that injury a year ago broke her collarbone, it certainly did not crush her spirit.
The reigning Olympic champion, who had looked on point all week, marked her return to elite competition with victory on the second day of Moguls competition at the Ruka World Cup.
She scored 79.89 points to win, delivering a clean and fast run to put her ahead of the competition.
“It’s pretty special,” Anthony said. “It’s probably nearly a year to the day of getting injured. I’ve been out since then, so this is a pretty special one.”
She also made the superfinal a day earlier, but ended it with a DNF.
“Yesterday was a bummer, just didn’t quite nail that last one,” she said. “To get some redemption tonight is pretty special. Took a few learnings about how the course developed. Been a while since I skied a comp, so I had to remember that, and make those adjustments tonight.”
Olivia Giaccio (USA) took second place with 78.64 points. Her teammate Jaelin Kauf (USA), wearing the blue bib, also got on the podium after missing out the day before, taking third with 78.08 points.
It should also be noted that the United States’ women’s squad of Moguls skiers are enjoying a promising start to the World Cup season.
They made up half of the superfinal field on 7 December, and a day later, added another to make it four out of six superfinalists. Tess Johnson (USA) finished fourth, while Kasey Hogg (USA) was sixth.
Graham back on top of World Cup podium
In the men’s event, Matt Graham (AUS) withstood the pressure of being the final one to compete, scoring 81.72 points to win.
It is the 31-year-old’s first World Cup win since Deer Valley in the 2022/23 season.
It also marks the first time since the 2014/15 season that the men’s Moguls winner in Ruka was not Mikaël Kingsbury or Ikuma Horishima.
He said: “It’s good to be putting down really good runs. The course was challenging, but really fun, and I’m just enjoying it."
Ikuma Horishima (JPN) was just slightly behind in second place (80.58), while Julien Viel (CAN) was third with 79.30.
The World Cup circuit moves next to China, with aerialists competing at Secret Garden from 20-21 December. Moguls skiers will take a break and resume competition in the new year at Val St. Come.
QUICK LINKS
Ruka World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc)
