The World Championships follow one another and look alike for Mikaël Kingsbury. The athlete from Deux-Montagnes was imperial on Sunday morning in the parallel event and was crowned world champion in the two mogul skiing events for the third consecutive World Championships.
In 2019, then in 2021, he won gold in singles and in parallel. He again achieves the tour de force in 2023. Kingsbury has therefore been undefeated for six years at the Worlds.
Often slower than their rivals in previous rounds, Kingsbury was able to cross the finish line ahead of Sweden’s Walter Wallberg in the final. His technique did the rest. He prevailed 19-16 against the reigning Olympic champion, despite a slight loss of control at the halfway point.
It was with a big smile that Kingsbury received the verdict of the final. He carried his skis at the end of his arms before hugging his compatriots from the Canadian team who welcomed him with joy.
Kingsbury climbed to the top step of the podium for the eighth time in his career at the Worlds. This is his fourth triumph in parallel.
However, the Quebecer was hot in the semi-finals. He won by one point against Kazakh Pavel Kolmakov in Bakuriani, Georgia. The athlete dressed in white with a yellow bib did honor to the Tour de France by being the leader from start to finish.
The World Championships are a major biannual competition. These were the seventh Worlds for Kingsbury in 12 years.
Australian Matt Graham got the better of Kolmakov in the bronze medal final.
The 30-year-old took to the podium wearing the Canadian flag as a cape before raising both fists to mark his triumph. Unlike the two skiers with him, he not only kept his helmet, but even reattached it. Its longevity is to be taken seriously.
Quebecers Gabriel Dufresne and Julien Viel respectively took the 5e and 16e rank. Dufresne was defeated by Kolmakov in the quarter-finals.
Perrine Lafont still in gold
Among the women, the Frenchwoman Perrine Lafont also achieved a double at the Worlds. Victorious the day before in singles, she won against the American Jaelin Kauf in the final. This is a fifth gold medal at Worlds for Lafont.
Austria’s Avital Carroll wrapped up the podium, which was a cut-and-paste from Saturday’s event.
The Canadian Maïa Schwinghammer fell in the quarter-finals and concluded with the 8e place. For her part, Quebecer Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert saw her career end with a 10e place following their loss in the round of 16.