The Canadian moguls won’t be as threatening at the Beijing Olympics as they were in Vancouver, Sochi and Pyeongchang. So much so that Mikaël Kingsbury could well be the only representative of the maple leaf to get on the podium.
Reigning world and Olympic champion, Kingsbury is one of the two favorites to reach the top step of the podium, with the Japanese Ikuma Horishima. He will only be accompanied by Laurent Dumais in China, while Canada was more accustomed to sending four representatives to this competition. On the ladies’ side, British Columbian Sofiane Gagnon will join Quebecers Chloé and Justine Dufour-Lapointe at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou.
Gagnon, Chloé and Dumais only got their ticket to China after the two events in Deer Valley, in the United States, the last World Cup to qualify for the Games.
Champion in Sochi and vice-champion in Pyeongchang, Justine has had a more difficult season and is 13th in the FIS rankings. However, she has just had two excellent weekends under pressure, at Tremblant and Deer Valley, with two ninth places and an 11th. If she can keep up this momentum, she could hope for a place in final 1, where the first 20 skiers after the two qualifications will be admitted.
“I want to do runs so badly that the judges will like me to hold back a bit,” said the 27-year-old athlete after the second race at Tremblant last month. I have to let myself go, to be completely free on the course in order to break into the top-6. […] I have to do a descent that will go ‘wow!’, which will impress them. »
Silver medalist in Sochi in 2014, Chloé is ranked 18th. At 30, she will take part in her fourth and last Games. She has cracked the top-12 just twice this season, including an eighth-place finish at Tremblant. She will have to have excellent qualifications if she wishes to participate in Final 2. A place among the top six in the Grand Final seems unrealistic in her case.
Earlier this season, however, she admitted aiming for a top-10 in Zhangjiakou, betting in particular on a new trick: a back flip with a full twist and a back edge grip.
At 22, Gagnon is 19th in the World Cup standings and will be competing in his first Games. It was his very consistent performance in dual moguls that allowed him to sneak into China. However, this event is not part of the Olympic program and his solo performances were much less sparkling.
Finally, Dumais will also participate in his first Olympic Games in China. A back injury prevented him from showing up before the Tremblant World Cup this season. Sixth place at last year’s Worlds was a huge help in qualifying.
Once back on his boards, Dumais improved from race to race with 15th, 14th, 11th and 8th places in January. With the few weeks of rest he has been able to enjoy, who knows if he will not be able to accompany Kingsbury until the last lap?
Contrary to the formula used in the World Cup, the moguls will have two opportunities to qualify at the Beijing Games. On February 3, the 10 best skiers of the first qualifying session will obtain their ticket for final 1, disputed on the 5th for the men and the following day for the women.
Those who did not manage to qualify directly will have the opportunity to try again on Friday (gents) or Saturday (ladies). A second qualifying session will allow 10 more skiers to access this first final phase.
Of these 20 bosses in Final 1, the top 12 will advance to the next round, or Final 2. The top six will qualify for Final 3 or Super Final, in order to compete for a place on the podium.
Among the ladies, the French Perrine Laffont, defending champion, is obviously to be watched, as is the Australian Jakara Anthony, current leader in the World Cup standings. Japan’s Anri Kawamura is the one with the most solo points this season.
In addition to Kingsbury and Horishima, the Swede Walter Wallberg, third in the standings, the Japanese Daichi Hara and Kosuke Sugimoto, as well as the Frenchman Benjamin Cavet will be to watch.
Kingsbury will also be keeping tabs on Australia’s 2018 silver medalist Matt Graham. Graham only played at the World Cup in Idre Fjall, Sweden in December, where he suffered a broken collarbone. According to Kingsbury, he and Horishima, Cavet, and Graham are above the board when they’re at their peak.