The FIS Freestyle World Championships kicked off today with the SBX qualifications for finals at Solitude in Utah tomorrow. Australia has a strong male team with two time world champion Alex Pullin qualifying fifth, Adam Lambert 17th and Cam Bolton 27th. PyeongChang silver medallist, Jarryd Hughes, bowed out of the finals with a 35th place for the 32 man final.
If Pullin should podium at the World Championships tomorrow he will set a new record for the most World Championship medals won by an Australian winter sports athlete. He previous won the world champs in 2011 and 2013 and scored bronze in 2017.
He’s not the only Australian looking to win his third World Championship gold, Scotty James is a two time halfpipe snowboard world champion and should he win gold it will be his third consecutive championship. The odds are in his favour off the back of X Games gold last week and FIS World Cup gold in Laax and another gold in Copper this northern season already.
Britt Cox is the defending FIS World Champion mogul skier, having taken the championship in 2017. She’ll have stiff competition from fellow Aussie team mate Jakara Anthony who is on a winning streak with one gold and two silvers from the current FIS World Cup mogul season.
PyeongChang silver mogul medalist, Matt Graham, is also a contender. He won bronze at Lake Placid this FIS World Cup season and could easily find a place on the podium next week at Deer Valley.
Sochi silver medalist, David Morris, is coming out of aerial retirement to compete in the team aerials event at Deer Valley. If the team wins a medal then it will be the feel good story of the World Championships.
The full Australian team
Aerial Skiing
Britt George
Laura Peel
Abbey Willcox
David Morris (Team Event)
Mogul Skiing
Jakara Anthony
Sohie Ash
Britt Cox
Claudia Gueli
Taylah O’Neill
Rohan Chapman-Davies
Matt Graham
James Matheson
Brodie Summers
Ski Cross
Sami Kennedy-Sim
Snowboard Cross
Cam Bolton
Jarryd Hughes
Adam Lambert
Alex Pullin
Snowboard Halfpipe
Emily Arthur
Kent Callister
Scotty James
Snowboard Slopestyle & Big Air
Matt Cox
Snowboard PGS/PSL
Millie Bongiorno
The World Championships Schedule
1-10 February, 2019
Check out the EVENT WEBSITE
