Anthony achieves back-to-back victories, Wallberg secures season's first win as Alpe d’Huez weekend concludes with flair
Dec 16, 2023·Freestyle
The Alpe d’Huez weekend, a spectacular three-day extravaganza showcasing the pinnacle of freestyle skiing, culminated on Saturday. The dual moguls competition brought the event to a close, highlighting a phenomenal weekend of moguls action in France. Jakara Anthony triumphed with her second victory of the weekend in the women's category, while Walter Wallberg stylishly returned to the winner's circle on the men's side.
Building on her Friday triumph in the single moguls event, Jakara Anthony once again proved indomitable at the ‘Signal’ moguls course in Alpe d’Huez. She confidently ascended through the competition brackets, surpassing competitors such as Camille Cabrol (FRA), Hannah Soar (USA), and Tess Johnson (USA) to reach the grand final. There, she faced Olivia Giaccio (USA), who had secured third place on Friday.
In the final, Anthony, aged 25, demonstrated her relentless drive, expertly navigating the challenging course. She maintained precision in her ski tips, mastered the middle section, and executed both airs with finesse and style.
While Giaccio delivered an impressive performance, attempting to captivate the enthusiastic spectators, she couldn't quite match Anthony's speed and aerial prowess. Ultimately, it was the Australian athlete who emerged victorious, claiming her fourth win of the season and her fifth at the Alpe d’Huez venue.
With Anthony securing the top position, Giaccio earned a commendable second place, marking her fourth top-3 finish in the current 2023/24 World Cup season.
Alli Macuga, last year's Rookie of the Year, completed the women's podium in third place. This achievement marks her first-ever top-3 finish in a World Cup event, following a victory against teammate Tess Johnson in the small final.
The men's side witnessed equally compelling action, featuring numerous tight and gripping encounters. The athletes consistently pushed their limits, resulting in several spectacular, yet non-injurious, crashes.
Walter Wallberg (SWE), after an unexpected absence from Friday's single moguls finals - his first since 2018 - made a remarkable comeback on Saturday. From the outset, it was evident that he was determined to excel. En route to the grand final, Wallberg overcame formidable competitors, including Gabriel Dufresne (CAN), Ikuma Horishima (JPN), and Mikael Kingsbury (CAN), setting up a showdown with teammate Rasmus Stegfeldt.
In the final, Wallberg remained composed and focused, maintaining clean turns and high speed, which led to his first victory of the 2023/24 season, adding to his accolades as the 2022 Olympic champion.
Stegfeldt concluded the day in second place, marking his second top-3 finish this season.
Mikael Kingsbury completed the men’s podium in third place after prevailing in the small final against Louis-David Chalifoux (CAN). Kingsbury’s record for the season includes three wins and two additional top-3 finishes.
In the dual moguls rankings, Anthony and Kingsbury lead the way after two events.
The moguls tour is set to proceed to Bakuriani (GEO) for the final two competitions of the December series.
Quick links:
Alpe d'Huez World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc.)
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