Laffont and Horishima shine in Chiesa in Valmalenco
Feb 11, 2023·Freestyle
A hugely successful showcase of world’s best mogul skiing went down at “Dosso” course in Chiesa in Valmalenco (ITA) on Saturday, as Perrine Laffont (FRA) and Ikuma Horishima (JPN) reached for top spots in a hugely entertaining dual moguls competition that acted as the penultimate stop of the 2022/23 FIS Freestyle Ski Moguls World Cup season and final test ahead of the upcoming Bakuriani 2023 World Championships in Georgia.
Coming into Valmalenco’s event straight off her first win of the season in Deer Valley last week, Laffont didn’t disappoint and delivered a superb performance throughout the day. With some of her biggest rivals for the dual moguls as well as the overall moguls crystal globe struggling on this difficult course in Chiesa, Laffont remained calm, cool and in control throughout the day, keeping her turns tidy, her speed up and her tricks clean.
In the big final Laffont was matched against the up-and-comer Elizabeth Lemley (USA), who also showed very impressive skiing on the day including a very exciting semi final matchup against the current dual moguls World Cup leader Anri Kawamura (JPN). But in the big final Lemley couldn’t quite stick her run and after she hit the brakes just a couple of meters ahead of the bottom jump, it was pretty clear that she wouldn’t challenge Laffont for top spot on Saturday.
By winning the event in Valmalenco, Laffont moved atop the dual moguls as well as overall moguls World Cup standing and with only two more competitions remaining in the 2022/23, it all looks like the 2018 Olympic Champion from Korea might be on her way to claim two crystal globes once the season wraps up in Almaty (KAZ) in the middle of March.
With Laffont in top spot, Lemley finished the day in respective second place, for her third top-3 finish in 2022/23.
Anri Kawamura rounded out the women’s podium in third place after winning the small final matchup against Olivia Giaccio (USA).
Moving over to the men’s side of competition, it was Ikuma Horishima (JPN) who came with a little redemption after losing to Mikael Kingsbury (CAN) here in Chiesa last season. This year, however, the double World Champion from Sierra Nevada 2017 edged out the “King of Moguls” after a highly entertaining and tight big final, taking his third win of the season in the process.
And while Kingsbury had to settle for second spot on the day, it was nevertheless a very remarkable day for the 30-year-old Canadian skier as with a top-3 finish in Italy, Kingsbury secured the overall moguls crystal globe and his career’s 23th World Cup title. And with this one more additional title to his name Kingsbury also set another outstanding milestone by overtaking the great Conny Kissling for the most FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup titles in history.
Third place on the day went to Julien Viel (CAN), who scored his career’s first World Cup podium after coming victorious agains Dylan Walczyk (USA) in the small final match-up.
The world’s best moguls skiers will now head to Georgia for the Bakuriani 2023 World Championships with moguls competition taking place on February 25 and dual moguls on February 26. The FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup will come back to action in March with the final event of the season scheduled at Almaty’s Shymbulak Resort on March 17-20.
QUICK LINKS:
Chiesa in Valmalenco World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc.)
