World Champion Britt Cox prepped for PyeongChang

Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au

With less than four months to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games everything is going as planned for the world number one ranked female mogul skier Britt Cox.

After the best season of her career, 22-year-old Cox cruised through the southern hemisphere season, defended her Australian title, worked on perfecting her jumps at the water ramps in Part City, Utah, and managed to squeeze in some time with her family in Falls Creek.

Cox, who has medaled at more than a quarter of World Cups she has contested, stamped her name in the history books during the 2016/17 season when she became the first Australian to win the Single Mogul Skiing World Championships title and the Mogul Skiing World Cup crown.

Anyone would be excused for thinking the World Champion might be anxious about the massive target on her back for the PyeongChang 2018 Games, but the dual Olympian is relaxed and ready for the next season to kick off.

“I’m really excited for this Olympic season, which has come around so fast,” Cox said.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done between now and the Games, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and eager to get back in the [World Cup] start gate in December.”

With one of the best snow seasons Australia has had in recent years, Cox was stoked she got to experience it during her brief visit back home in the middle of the year.

“The 2017 southern winter was incredible. It was probably the best quality snow I have seen in Australia and we had a great training course in Perisher for the month of August.

“I was pleased with the work I was able to get done in our domestic season after a great block of water ramping in Park City Utah.

“I was also happy to defend my title at the Australian National Mogul Championships.

“I also spent a week back at my home mountain, Falls Creek. It was so nice to be back in my home village and spend some time with my family and my dog, Douglas.”

However, there is no resting for the 7-time World Cup gold medallist who is currently training with the national team in Zermatt, Switzerland ahead of the fast approaching Winter Olympic qualification period.

“Most of the international mogul teams train here at this time of the year as it is basically the only place in the world with a World Cup standard mogul course during October.

“The mogul course is situated at 3800m on the glacier next to the Matterhorn. This is a three-week camp for our team, which is a solid block given the demands of altitude.

“The scenery is breathtaking and the training productive so it’s one of my favourite training camps of the year.

“We then head back to Australia for our final prep before the World Cup season. I’ll be spending that time working on my jumps on the water ramps in Lilydale, Victoria and training with my strength and conditioning coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport.”

With the endless training, traveling and competing, Cox is thankful she can experience it all with her Aussie teammates.

“The mogul team really are my second family.

“Most of us have grown up together and now spend more time with one another than with our actual families, so it’s a good thing we all get along so well.

“We support each other on and off the hill and this makes it a really positive team environment. Matt [Graham] and Brodes [Brodie Summers] always make sure there is plenty of team banter.” 

The first Moguls World Cup of the season is in Ruka Finland on December 9.