Bronze for Scott in China Aerial Skiing World Cup
Published Mon 24 Feb 2025
Article Courtesy OWIA
Aerial skier Danielle Scott has finished third at the World Cup event in Beidahu, China, her third podium of the season and 23rd of her career.
The back-to-back defending World Cup Champion qualified for finals in fourth place after scoring 831.6 points for her full-full double twisting double back somersault. Joining Scott in finals jumping the same jump were Flying Kangaroo teammates Abbey Willcox in sixth (79.38), Laura Peel seventh (78.75) and Airleigh Frigo 11th (74.97).
In the first round of finals, Scott performed the same jump again, this time improving to the second highest score of the round (90.40) to secure a place in the top-six super-final medal round. Joining Scott in the super-final was Willcox on (83.79), but missing out was Frigo in seventh (scoring 80.95 for her full-full) and Peel in eighth who had trouble landing the difficult lay-full-full triple back somersault with two twists, scoring 79.35.
In the super-final medal round, Scott increased her difficulty adding an extra twist from her previous jumps, performing a double full-full triple twisting double back somersault, scoring 89.18 from the judges to finish in third.
Willcox finished in fifth place scoring 78.88 points for her lay-full single twisting double back somersault.
Mengtao Xu of China was the winner, the 2022 Olympic champion scored 114.19, with her teammate Meiting Chen in second on 109.04, both Chinese jumpers performed a very difficult full-full-full, triple back somersault with three twists.
“It was a tricky day with the wind changing a lot, so I am happy to put my jumps down the way I did and use that experience out there” said 34-year-old Scott from NSW, who trains in Brisbane at the Geoff Henke Olympic Winter Training Centre water jump facility.
“This year I am not jumping triples, so it’s all about maximising those points with my doubles.”
Narrowly missing the 12-woman final in a career best finish was rookie Elise Coleiro in 13th and in the men’s event Reilly Flanagan was 30th.
After five events Peel is ranked first on the World standings on 342 points, with Scott and Xu of China tied for second on 284. Also in the top 10 are Australians Willcox in seventh and Frigo in eighth.
The aerial skiers are back in action on Monday after in Beidahu where Peel, Scott and Flanagan will team together for the second mixed team event of the season. Tune into the action from 5pm AEDT.
