Scott a World Cup winner again after patience in Lake Placid pays off
Jan 11, 2026·Freestyle
In the last three years or so, Danielle Scott (AUS) experienced the highs of winning a Crystal Globe, but also the lows of finding her way back to the top.
But patience and faith finally bore fruit in Lake Placid on 11 January, when the Australian found her way back to the top of a World Cup podium.
She scored 95.88 points in the women’s Aerials, enough to put her ahead of competitors with more recent, more illustrious accolades. Reigning Olympic champion Xu Mengtao (CHN) was second with 94.01 points, while reigning world champion Kaila Kuhn (USA) was third with 92.29.
“I’m just letting this sink in. I’ve had a rough run this season,” said Scott, shortly after securing what is also her first World Cup podium of the season.
This is the 35-year-old’s first World Cup win since March 2023, and the seventh of her career.
Scott has always been able to prove her place among the sport’s elite, but on this day, the 35-year-old also needed to show that sometimes you just need a good jump, not the most difficult one.
With four out of six superfinalists attempting triples, Scott’s choice of a Back Double Full-Full was made after assessing the conditions of the day.
But in stomping in, Scott showed that dialling it back and focusing on execution can still lead to success.
She said: “I was hoping to do triples, and we made some hard decisions and decided to keep it on the double. I think it paid off.”
Still, Scott is no doubt hoping to show what she’s capable of on the triples, adding: “I want to do them, so let’s get Mother Nature on our side.”
In the men’s competition, Wang Xindi (CHN)’s decision to go with five twists despite the conditions was rewarded with a win.
With landings proving to be challenging for many athletes, his Back Double Full-Full-Double Full earned a 103.50 and his first World Cup win of the season.
He finished ahead of Yan Havriuk (UKR), who achieved the first World Cup podium of his career with a 94.12-effort. The Ukrainian had the same score as third-placed Qi Guangpu (CHN), but was superior in form.
“I’m so happy and very excited. Today, the weather was not good, and a lot of us chose safety today. Thanks to my team and wife for helping me get here.”
Wang is the third Chinese winner so far this season, coming after Sun Jiaxu (CHN) and Li Tianma (CHN). Both men’s and women’s Aerials have had different winners at each event so far, with five out of as many contests.
The season will conclude with the final competition on 12 January, also in Lake Placid.
Xu now has a stronger hold on her lead, 72 points over Winter Vinecki (USA). In the men’s standings, Sun is the new wearer of the yellow bib and is 24 points ahead of teammate Li.
QUICK LINKS
Lake Placid World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc)
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