World Champs wrap up with record medal haul
Published Tue 07 Mar 2023
Courtesy OWIA
The 2023 FIS Freestyle, Freeski and Snowboarding World Championships have gone down as Australia’s most successful in history, with a record breaking six medals won over two weeks of competition in Bakuriani, Georgia.
The FIS World Championships take place every two years, with five medals in total the previous best result for Australia which has occurred twice, most recently in 2017 at Sierra Nevada, Spain.
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 (Aerial Skiing), Matt Graham (Mogul Skiing), 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 (Aerial Skiing) and Cam Bolton and Adam Lambert sixth and eighth in the Snowboard Cross small final.
Olympic Winter Institute CEO Geoff Lipshut was very proud of the Australian athletes performance in Bakuriani.
“It was a great effort by both our snowboarders and skiers in Georgia. Excellent performances by repeat medallists Danielle Scott and Tess Coady. Matt Graham was just outstanding and in career best form for two medals in two days over two events. Super performances by first time Championship podium athletes Josie Baff and Valentino Guseli.”
“I thought the blend of career best performances, youth versus experience and the equal podium split between women and men was both pleasing and promising.“
"These performances together with the World Cup success during the winter, is really good for year one of the quadrennial. Lots to look forward to as we build towards Milan Cortina 2026.”
2023 FIS Freestyle, Freeski & Snowboard World Championships
Bakuriani, Georgia
Australian Performance Summary
- A record six medals
- A record 14 top-10 performances
- Two first-time World Championship medallists (Josie Baff & Valentino Guseli)
- Australia's first-ever World Championship medal in Big Air (Tess Coady)
