Anthony joins Begg-Smith with 18th career World Cup victory

Jakara Anthony's eyecatching 2023/24 campaign continues grab the attention of the snowsport community following her dual moguls victory at Waterville Valley Resort in New Hampshire.

It came just 24 hours after she won the singles event to notch up win number 10 from 11 World Cup starts this season.

Anthony now joins legendary two-time Olympic medallist Dale Begg-Smith with 18 career World Cup victories, the most ever by an Australian mogul skier.

In overcast conditions Anthony cruised through the early rounds of the event to reach the semi-final stage against American Tess Johnson, where Anthony recorded a comfortable 32-3 win.

Anthony then faced her main rival this season, American Jaelen Kauf in the gold medal run, and in a close battle Anthony narrowly prevailed with a score of 18-17 to give the 2022 Olympic gold medallist her eighth straight victory in a row.

Rounding out the podium in third place was American Olivia Giaccio after Johnson crashed in the small final.

”It was really cool to come to Waterville," said Anthony. "I haven’t been to too many brand new places on tour recently, so get to come to somewhere new and experience it has been really awesome, and I love competing in the United States."

In the men’s event Cooper Woods made it through to the quarter final stage to finish in seventh place, with George Murphy 29th, Oliver Logan 39th and Matt Graham 46th. 

The mogul skiing athletes will now head to Deer Valley in the USA, for another single and dual mogul event next weekend on the always testing “Champion Run” at the 2002 Olympic venue.

Anthony is now one win away from equalling Hannah Kearney of the USA for the most World Cup wins in a moguls season, which the American achieved in 2011/12.

“Deer Valley is always the highlight of the season for everyone, so really looking to that,” said Anthony. “They put on a good show there and it’s one of my favourite courses.

"It’s where I got my first World Cup start, my first World Championship podium and I had a win there last year, so looking forward to getting back there.”

“It’s been a crazy season, one win off that record set by Hannah Kearney, it’s getting close now.

"We will have to see what the rest of season brings, but I won’t be focusing on that too much, that’s when I might start making mistakes, so keep focusing on what I need to do out there and get better every competition.”