What a FIS World Cup mogul skiing season opener in Ruka, Finland overnight. The much anticipated battle between France’s Perrine Laffont (returning champion after a year hiatus) and reigning champion Australian Jakara Anthony pushed both women onto the podium.
Laffont, a five-time World Champion qualified second to Anthony for the finals and then went on to win the women’s competition with an 81.13 point run. The victory was an especially emotional one for Laffont, who was in tears
Anthony took second place, starting the 2024-2025 FIS World Cup season with a silver medal. The podium result is the 42nd medal of her incredible career, and she now holds the record for the most ever World Cup podiums by an Australian winter sports athlete, eclipsing the previous record of 41 held by aerial skier Kirstie Marshall.
In the super-final medal round, Anthony put down a strong run scoring 80 points from the judges but was narrowly outscored by French skier Perrine Laffont on 81.13, with American Olivia Giaccio rounding out the podium in third place with 76.95 points.
“Pretty happy with what we have been able to achieve walking away with a second place at the start of a super long season, it’s a great way to kick it off” said the 26-year-old from Barwon Heads in Victoria.
“It’s great to have so many chicks up that top end of the sport, that’s what makes it exciting, we are all going out there each day fighting for that top spot, which means we are all pushing each other and we have seen the sport progress a lot over the past four years,” says Anthony.
Read our 32 page mini emag The Watch List dedicated to Aussie FIS WC medal contenders this season.
In the men’s event, Matt Graham and Cooper Woods qualified for finals in third and ninth place respectively, but in the final missed out on advancing to the top-six super final in 10th and 13th place.
Canadian Mikael Kingsbury finished in first place, with Walter Wallberg of Sweden in second, with third place going to Ikuma Horishima of Japan.
Next weekend the World Cup mogul skiing tour moves to Sweden for a single and dual mogul event on December 6 and 7.
