Discipline: Freestyle Moguls
Olympic Participation: Lillehammer 1994
Medal awarded in: 2021

Paul Costa grew up in Falls Creek, the oldest of four brothers (Adrian, Simon and Tom) who all represented Australia at Mogul skiing. Despite being a year younger, Adrian soon became Paul’s biggest role model. Paul admired his brother's work ethic, his drive and focus towards becoming the best competitor he could be. Adrian ended up participating in four Winter Games and the two brothers got to compete together in the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.

Paul raced in alpine skiing as a kid before transitioning to the still young discipline of mogul skiing at the age of 16. His first event was the Falls Creek Summit Masters, where he finished second in the Open Class - a result which strengthened his passion for the discipline. 

Just a few years later, in 1991, Paul finished second in his first Nor-Am moguls competition. The event was a coming of age for the young Costa - a performance where everything ‘clicked’ together and taught him how to compete at a high level in the years that followed.

In 1993 Paul Costa placed fourth at the FIS Freestyle World Championships in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria. At the time, this was Australia’s best ever result in moguls at a World Championships. By his own admission, that was also by far the best moment of Paul Costa’s mogul skiing career, a seven-year span during which he collected 26 World Cup starts.

At the end of his competing career, Paul Costa was keen to give back to the sport he loved and became a coach. In 2001-2002 he coached the Europa Cup mogul team overseas and was also part of the moguls coaching staff for the 2006 Torino Olympics.