Calgary, AB – After two days of mogul competition at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships, Canadian athletes return home with three medals: a gold, silver, and bronze.
In the single mogul event, Canada’s skiers delivered standout performances, securing podium finishes in both the men’s and women’s events. The competition took place on the picturesque Corviglia mountain, where mostly blue skies and pleasant temperatures set the stage for an exciting event.
Qualifications followed the Major Games format, which differs from the World Cup system. The top ten athletes from the first qualification round advanced directly to the finals, while the remaining competitors had a second chance to qualify through a best-of-two second qualification round. In total, 20 men and 20 women progress to the first final. Eight athletes continue to the second final, rather than the usual six on World Cup.
The women’s qualifications ran smoothly, but the men’s event faced challenges when dense fog rolled in during the first round, causing significant delays. As a result, the second round of men’s qualifications was canceled, and the top 20 skiers from the first round moved directly into the finals.
Women’s Moguls: Bronze for Schwinghammer in Career-Best Finish
Canadian skier Maïa Schwinghammer made history with a bronze medal in the women’s moguls final, earning a score of 74.92. This marks her first-ever World Championships podium and a major milestone in her career. This result also confirms her Method A qualification for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Athletes who win medals in two of five identified events are designated as priority nominees in the selection process. Schwinghammer will need to confirm her nomination by placing in the top 16 in one World Cup event during the Olympic season, a task well within reach for the talented mogul skier from Saskatoon.
France’s Perrine Laffont claimed her sixth World Championship gold with 77.92 points, while Japan’s Hinako Tomitaka secured silver with 75.15. Canadian Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert also delivered a career-best performance, finishing fourth, just behind teammate Schwinghammer.
Men’s Moguls: Kingsbury Captures Silver, Adds to His Legacy
Canadian mogul legend Mikaël Kingsbury secured a silver medal, his 14th career World Championship medal, with a score of 82.68 in a highly competitive field.
Kingsbury’s long-time rival and friend, Japan’s Ikuma Horishima, took gold with 89.03 points, while South Korea’s Jung Dae-yoon rounded out the podium with 81.76.
Dual Moguls: Kingsbury Claims Gold in Grueling Event
Following an impressive showing in the mogul event, the dual mogul competition proved to be a major challenge for many athletes. Canadian Team coach Jim Schiman described the three biggest difficulties of the course:
- The steep, obstacle-like top section, with a short approach to a steep jump, making clean jumps difficult.
- The course, previously used as a speed track, had been injected with water to harden the snow. Despite sun and warmth, the surface remained extremely firm and unforgiving, even after the crew of passionate volunteers chopped the landing. This lead to difficult landings, especially on the top jump.
- The middle section was notably flat, allowing skiers to build excessive speed, pushing their limits and increasing the likelihood of mistakes.
With cooler temperatures compared to the mogul event, these factors led to numerous falls and athletes skiing off course when going head-to-head at full speed.
The men’s finalnbecame a battle of survival, featuring several high-speed crashes, including from two of the medalists—Australia’s Matt Graham (bronze) and Horishima (silver). The one skier who maintained momentum and avoided trouble was Kingsbury. He put together a solid day, securing the win and improving on his second-place finish from the day before.
In the semifinal, both Filip Gravenfors and Horishima suffered dramatic crashes. Horishima’s fall spilled into the finish area, leaving him on the ground for a tense few moments. When he eventually stood, the crowd let out a collective sigh of relief, followed by cheers. Horishima gathered himself and made his way back to the top of the course for the big final against Kingsbury. However, just before the run, it was announced that he has suffered a minor injury and couldn’t compete at full strength, and he withdrew, giving Kingsbury the victory.
In a show of sportsmanship, the two skiers stood together at the start gate as Kingsbury was declared the winner. They shook hands and took a slow, deliberate victory lap down the course, with Horishima visibly battling through pain. Later that night, at the Celebration of Champions, Kingsbury and Jung helped Horishima up the stairs and onto the stage for the formal ceremony as both young fathers picked up two trophies each to accompany their FIS medals.
Many other Canadians were eliminated early, largely due to the challenging conditions. The standout was NextGen skier Jessica Linton, who defeated teammate Desmarais-Gilbert in a dual to advance to the round of eight, where she ultimately placed seventh.
Canadian Results:
Men:
– Mikaël Kingsbury – 2nd Moguls, 1st Dual Moguls
– Elliot Vaillancourt – 14th Moguls, 15th Dual Moguls
– Sam Goodison – DNF Moguls, 22nd Dual Moguls
– Julien Viel – 6th Moguls, 29th Dual Moguls
– Louis-David Chalifoux – 17th Moguls, 24th Dual Moguls
Women:
– Maïa Schwinghammer – 3rd Moguls, 11th Dual Moguls
– Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert – 4th Moguls, 10th Dual Moguls
– Ashley Koehler – 18th Moguls, 19th Dual Moguls
– Jessica Linton – 21st Moguls, 7th Dual Moguls
That concludes the international competition for Canada’s mogul skiers this season. The World Championships continue
