Historic Winter World Cup Season Ends on a High
Published Fri 31 Mar 2023
Australian athletes have dominated the winter world cup season, which officially came to a close this week.
In what was a historic season for this small nation more famously known for its hot beaches rather than ski fields, four Australian athletes are bringing home Crystal Globes as the number one ranked athlete in the world in their discipline.
Valentino Guseli received two Crystal Globes as the overall Park & Pipe world cup winner, as well as the Snowboard Big Air leader. He also finished second in halfpipe and third in slopestyle.
In a historic season, Guseli became the first snowboarder to ever record podium performances in the same season in three separate disciplines, with six podium performances.
With four world cup golds, one silver and a bronze, Beijing 2022 Olympic Champion Jakara Anthony continued her record-breaking streak, claiming the Crystal Globe for the women’s single moguls, and placing second in the overall moguls rankings.
Flying Kangaroo Danielle Scott is also bringing home a Crystal Globe as the top ranked female aerial skier, with three gold and one silver world cup medal and a World Championships silver to celebrate her personal-best season.
Scott’s teammate Laura Peel also had a phenomenal season, finishing second in the world rankings with two world cup victories and a silver medal this season - making it an Aussie double in the world rankings.
Ben Tudhope has had the best season of his career, podiuming in every single world cup event he entered, winning the Para Snowboard Cross World Championships and placing third in the dual banked slalom world championships to win the Men’s LL2 overall snowboard crystal globe and the boarder cross crystal globe.
With world cup gold medals also being awarded to Scotty James (snowboard halfpipe) Josie Baff (snowboard cross) and Matt Graham (moguls), Australian athletes have well and truly put their names on the map this season.
And who could forget the historic 2023 FIS Freestyle, Freeski and Snowboarding World Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia, with a record breaking six medals won over two weeks of competition?!
In total, 22 athletes represented Australia, with 12 females and 10 male athletes competing, with a number of outstanding performances and personal best results over the World Championships.
Silver medals were won by Danielle Scott (aerials), Matt Graham (moguls), Josie Baff (snowboard cross) and Valentino Guseli (snowboard halfpipe), with bronze medals to Matt Graham (dual moguls) and Tess Coady (snowboard big air).
A number of athletes also came so close to adding to the medal tally, including a fourth place to Tess Coady (snowboard slopestyle), fifth to Scotty James (snowboard halfpipe), Laura Peel seventh (aerials) and Cam Bolton and Adam Lambert sixth and eighth in the snowboard cross small final.
Over in La Molina, Spain, Amanda Reid joined Ben Tudhope on the Para Snowboard World Championships podium, with gold in the women’s snowboard cross and bronze in dual banked slalom.
With more Australian athletes than ever before representing the green and gold at the Junior World Championships - including an SBX silver to Josie Baff - our next generation of winter athletes are starting to make a name for themselves too.
Phil Beillingham not only made his 100th individual cross country world cup start this season, but he managed to split his time between cross country and making his SkiMo debut, alongside fellow SkiMo debutant Kate Zander.
With NorAm and Europa Cup podiums, plus developing athletes stepping into the senior world cup ranks, there is plenty to celebrate after this remarkable season.
We invite the broader Snow Australia community to come together to celebrate the achievements of all athletes, coaches and support staff at the 2023 Snow Australia Awards on Thursday Apr 27, 2023 in Melbourne.
