Raimkulov and Kroupa headline FIS Freestyle Junior World Ski Championships field

The best youth mogul skiers and aerialists are ready to take flight in Airolo as the storied venue plays host to the FIS Freestyle Junior World Ski Championships from March 19-22.

Competitors aged between 14 and 19 from 21 countries will converge at the Raiffeisen Freestyle Arena, with organisers receiving 357 athlete entries across five events: Moguls, Dual Moguls, Dual Moguls Team, Aerials, and Aerials Team.

Dinmukhammed Raimkulov (KAZ) will be looking to retain the Men’s Aerials title he won on home snow in Almaty last year while Men’s Dual Moguls defending champion Matyas Kroupa (CZE) is also seeking his second gold on his fourth appearance.

Should they win back-to-back golds, they will join Belarus’ Maxim Gustik (Aerials, 2006-2007) as the only male freestyle skiers to achieve that feat.

Gustik completed his double in Airolo, where Xu Mengtao (CHN) won the women’s title before going on to dominate at the senior level.

No man has won more than two golds but Raimkulov and Kroupa are in the running as Raimkulov will also compete in the Aerials Team event on March 21 while Kroupa will feature in the Moguls (March 19) and Dual Moguls Team (March 21) events too.

Raimkulov just came off a fourth-place finish at the European Cup at Airolo this month after finishing 19th at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. He has 22 World Cup starts, with a best individual finish of 13th at Livigno in March 2025.

The 19-year-old will be one to watch when the Aerials competition takes center stage on March 20.

Like Raimkulov, Kroupa made his Olympic debut at the Milano Cortina Games, finishing 28th in Moguls and Dual Moguls. He has 26 World Cup starts and came in 12th in Moguls at Waterville Valley Resort in January this year, his best World Cup result.

The 19-year-old can make more Dual Moguls history on March 22 after winning the first gold for the Czech Republic at this competition. He will be challenged by 2025 bronze medalist Noe Lameille (FRA), who has a Dual Moguls European Cup title to his name.

The Dual Moguls Team event will feature other athletes who have been on the FIS Freestyle Junior World Ski Championships podium.

Jiah Cohen, one half of the United States team that won gold in 2025, is back with more experience.

While Cohen will attempt to retain his title with a new teammate as Reese Chapdelaine, 20, is no longer eligible, 2025 silver medalists Yuliya Feklistova and Denis Rastruba (KAZ) have the opportunity to go again together.

Cohen could renew his partnership with Abby McLarnon (USA) as they took 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games Dual Moguls Team bronze together. McLarnon also claimed Dual Moguls bronze in Gangwon and in Almaty last year. Both 19-year-olds made their World Cup debut at Waterville Valley Resort this year.

Compatriot Chase Littlefield (USA) was a bronze medalist in 2025 with Anabel Ayad, now 20.

Victoria Cote, part of the three-member Canadian Aerials Team that took bronze in Almaty, returns with new teammates.

The 16-year-old is fresh off the Lac-Beauport podium, where she was third in Aerials at the Canada National Championships on March 1.

Chinese teams brought home Aerials Team gold and silver in 2025 but the NOC will not be represented in Airolo.

The Aerials powerhouse also swept the women’s podium in Almaty and took silver and bronze behind Raimkulov in the men’s competition, offering the possibility of new medalists to be feted.

WATCH LIVE

Here are the links to watch the livestream on the FIS Freestyle YouTube channel.

Thursday, March 19

Moguls qualification

Moguls final

All events will be streamed on the FIS Freestyle YouTube channel.