Beijing 2022 Preview: Freestyle Skiing
Published Tue 01 Feb 2022
Australia has a strong history in Freestyle Skiing, having won medals at every Games since Salt Lake 2002.
Overview
Freestyle Skiing developed as a combination of Downhill Skiing and Acrobatics in America in the 1960s.
There are seven freestyle skiing events included at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics; Aerials, Aerials Mixed Team, Moguls, Ski Cross, Freeski Halfpipe, Freeski Slopestyle and Freeski Big Air.
Alisa Camplin-Warner won Australia's first freestyle skiing medal in 2002 with gold in Women's Aerials. She followed this performance with bronze at Torino 2006. Five-time Olympian Lydia Lassila won gold at Vancouver 2010 and bronze at Sochi 2014. David Morris claimed the first men's Olympic aerials medal for Australia at Sochi 2014 with silver.
Australia has two moguls medallists in Dale Begg-Smith (gold - Torino 2006; silver - Vancouver 2010) and Matt Graham (silver - PyeongChang 2018). We have also had a strong representation in women's Moguls, Ski Cross and Ski Slopestyle.
The first Freestyle Skiing discipline to be added to the Winter Olympic schedule was mogul skiing at the Albertville Games in 1992, although both mogul and aerial skiing made their Olympic debut back at Calgary 1988 as a demonstration sports. Aerial Skiing had to wait until Lillehammer 1994 to be added to the program. At Vancouver 2010, ski cross was added as an event for both men and women. At Sochi 2014 Freeski Slopestyle and Freeski Halfpipe joined the program.
The Beijing Games will be the first time we will see Freeski Big Air and Aerials Mixed Teams events on the program.
All of the Freestyle Skiing will be held between Genting Snow Park and Big Air Shougang from Thursday 3 February to Saturday 19 February.
Meet The Freestyle Skiing Team
| MOGULS | AERIALS | SKI CROSS | FREESKI HALFPIPE / BIG AIR / SLOPESTYLE |
| Britt Cox (4th Games) |
Laura Peel (3rd Games) |
Sami Kennedy Sim (3rd Games) | Abi Harrigan (Olympic debut) |
| Matt Graham (3rd Games) | Danielle Scott (3rd Games) | ||
| Brodie Summers (2nd Games) | Gabi Ash (Olympic Debut) | ||
| Jakara Anthony (2nd Games) | |||
| James Matheson (2nd Games) | |||
| Taylah O'Neill (2nd Games) | |||
| Cooper Woods (Olympic Debut) | |||
| Sophie Ash (Olympic Debut) |
What's the story?
- Of the 15 Winter Olympics medals Australia has won prior to Beijing 2022, eight have come from Freestyle Skiing.
- Australia has sent a 13-strong team to compete in Freestyle Skiing, our biggest for any sport at Beijing 2022.
- Laura Peel enters the aerials competition as the reigning world champion and Australia's first aerial skiing double world champion.
- Matt Graham is hungry for another medal after claiming silver in the Men's Moguls at PyeongChang 2018.
- Britt Cox has been selected for her fourth Games in Moguls, equalling the most by an Australian mogul skier with Adrian Costa (1992-2002).
- Jakara Anthony is a serious medal threat as she heads to Beijing, she won the Alpe d'Huez World Cup earlier in the season and is ranked third in the women's moguls World Cup standings.
See the full Freestyle Skiing preview on olympics.com.au
Check out the competition formats: Aerials, Moguls, Big Air, Slopestyle, Halfpipe, Ski Cross
Find out more about the Snow Australia athletes competing at Beijing 2022 HERE
