Calgary, AB – Canadian mogul skiing legend Mikael Kingsbury reached another milestone in his illustrious career, capturing his 93rd World Cup victory with a calculated performance on the slopes of Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. Kingsbury’s winning run earned him 84.95 points, securing his third World Cup win of the season. Nick Page of the United States took second place with 83.55 points, while France’s Benjamin Cavet continued his strong streak with a third-place finish, scoring 74.55 points.
Kingsbury’s victory came with a strategic pivot moments before his superfinal run. Originally planning a more difficult jump, he opted for a slightly less challenging option after observing Japan’s Ikuma Horishima miss his landing on a 1440 off the top air.
“It was supposed to be a double full, but I struggled with the top air all week,” Kingsbury explained. “It’s not the kind of shape or jump that I usually do well in. When I saw Ikuma miss his landing, I looked at my coach and said, ‘back full.’ I knew I was going to stomp it. After that, it’s just about getting a good 10 off the bottom air. I could’ve gone a bit faster, but it worked out in my favor. Nick skied an amazing run, and I’m glad it fell on my side. It feels amazing.”
Kingsbury’s coach, Michel Hamelin, praised his athlete’s tactical approach: “Mik won with speed and tactics! He was the fastest in training. We decided to do easier jumps to maximize speed, and it paid off.”
Kingsbury’s teammate Julien Viel also made the finals, finishing 10th overall.
On the women’s side, Canada’s Maia Schwinghammer continued her impressive season, making her fifth consecutive trip to the superfinals. Schwinghammer finished fourth, narrowly missing the podium, while teammate Ashley Koehler placed seventh in her first World Cup finals appearance and first World Cup start of the year.
“It feels great to have this consistency,” Schwinghammer said after the event. “I’m pushing myself every competition and learning more with every run. The team energy is really strong right now.”
Other Canadian athletes in action included Sam Cordell (18th), Louis-David Chalifoux (20th), Gabriel Dufresne (26th), and Elliot Vaillancourt (31st). On the women’s side, Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert (17th) and Jessica Linton (25th) represented Canada.
The moguls team returns to action tomorrow, January 25, with the dual mogul event in Waterville Valley before heading to their home World Cup event next weekend at Val St. Côme, Quebec, from January 31 to February 1.Top of FormBottom of Form
