Peel flies high to win aerial World Cup gold

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Peel flies high to win aerial World Cup gold

Almost a year out from the Winter Olympics, Australia’s two-time aerials world champion Laura Peel has returned to the top of the podium with a commanding World Cup victory in Canada.

Veteran Matt Graham was also celebrating his first medal of the season, winning silver in the dual moguls in the World Cup event at Waterville in the US.

Peel was disappointed with her opening World Cup round in Lake Placid last weekend, finishing 21st, although she laid down her highest-ever score with 118.48 points to help Australia to win bronze in the team event.

Venturing to Lac-Beauport for the second round of the season, 35-year-old Peel was a cut above her rivals on Saturday, producing another near-perfect back full-full-full jump to score 117.19.

Chen Meiting took second place with 102.31 points, while fellow ******** skier, last week’s winner and reigning Olympic champion, Xu Mengtao was third with 92.72.

It was Peel’s first World Cup win since her triumph at the Almaty stop in March 2023 and signals she will again be a contender at the Milan-Cortina Olympics in Italy which get underway on February 6 next year.

Peel finished fifth at the Beijing 2022 Games after failing to stick her landing.

“We love coming here,” the Canberra athlete said.

“Quebec is like a second home to me now. It’s an amazing event with lots of awesome volunteers. Just so good to be here. Now, it’s just resting up and going again tomorrow (in the team event).”

*********** teammate Danielle Scott, who opened the season with a silver medal, missed the super final and had to settle for eighth while Abbey Willcox was 21st.

Youngster Reilly Flanagan was 36th in the men’s event which was won by China’s Qi Guangpu.

With superstar Jakara Anthony still out of competition following her collarbone fracture, 2018 Olympic bronze medallist Graham stepped up.

The 30-year-old advanced through the elimination stages to take on moguls all-time great Mikael Kingsbury in the final but was beaten by the home-town hero, with scores 21 to 14.

Graham was edged for the super final in the individual event the previous day, finishing eighth, with Kingsbury again taking top spot and finishing the weekend extending his World Cup record to 94 victories.

“It’s great to be in the final against Matty,” 32-year-old Kingsbury said.

“We basically started World Cups at the same time. We’re great buddies, both dads, we push to 100 per cent of our limits.”

French skier Perrine Laffont won the individual and dual women’s event but *********** teenager Charlotte Wilson had a breakout performance, finishing fifth in the single race in just her third World Cup start.

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