Canadian freestyle skier Mikaël Kingsbury clinched the silver medal in the men’s moguls final at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games, narrowly missing out on gold. Kingsbury, 33, hailing from Deux-Montagnes, Que., scored 83.71 at Livigno Air Park, tying with Australia’s Cooper Woods.
In the scoring system for moguls, turns contribute 60%, while jumps and speed each account for 20%. Woods outperformed Kingsbury in the turns element with a score of 48.40 to 47.70, securing his unexpected victory against the esteemed skier.
Expressing his feelings post-event, Kingsbury stated, “I feel amazing. I’m very happy with my skiing. It was close, a tiebreak — unfortunately, I’m the guy not on the good side of it. But I’ve worked very hard for this medal.”
Japan’s Ikuma Horishima claimed the bronze with a score of 83.44. Quebec City’s Julien Viel finished sixth overall with 79.78 points.
This marks Kingsbury’s fourth Olympic medal, adding to his gold at PyeongChang 2018 and two silver medals from Sochi 2014 and Beijing 2022. He now holds the record for the first male freestyle skier with four Olympic medals.
Reflecting on his performance, Kingsbury shared, “I just want to enjoy myself. It’s my last race at the Olympic Games, so I’m going to enjoy every moment and push as hard as I can and ski with no regrets.”
Despite showing initial disappointment by throwing his skis to the ground, Kingsbury later smiled while holding up his medal on the podium. He acknowledged the challenges he faced, including an injury in September, and expressed gratitude to his team for their support and belief in his recovery.
Woods’ victory over Kingsbury was a significant upset, considering Kingsbury’s remarkable achievements, including his 100th World Cup win in January. Woods, emotional and proud, expressed his surprise at the outcome and the honor of defeating Kingsbury in the competition.
Kingsbury and his team will have another chance at medals during the men’s dual moguls event scheduled for Feb. 15.