Who to Watch: Looking ahead to Moguls’ North American tour

As the moguls World Cup season unfolds, numerous athletes have exhibited exceptional performances in the first segment of the season, spanning four locations with a total of 7 competitions, including both single and dual moguls events. Today, we spotlight a few of these athletes, particularly Jakara Anthony and Mikael Kingsbury, who have been consistently dominant, leading the World Cup standings in singles, duals, and overall.

Men's Moguls: Top Performers

Mikael Kingsbury (CAN): Canadian superstar Kingsbury has been outstanding with 4 wins and 7 top-3 finishes this season, continuing to affirm his position as the foremost contender. Approaching the record of Ingemar Stenmark for the most wins in the men’s category across all FIS World Cup disciplines, Kingsbury is just two victories shy of this milestone. With 24 career Crystal Globes, he holds the record for the most World Cup season titles in freestyle skiing history and is evidently aiming to add three more globes to his collection in 2023/24.

Ikuma Horishima (JPN): Achieving 2 wins and 5 top-3 finishes in December alone, Horishima emerges as a formidable rival for Kingsbury this season. Trailing by just 20 points in the moguls standings, Horishima's five podiums in December signal his intent to replicate his remarkable performance from two years ago, where he totaled 12 top-3 finishes in the World Cup.

Walter Wallberg (SWE): The 2022 Olympic Champion, Wallberg, has notched 1 win and 3 top-3 finishes, ranking him fourth across all three moguls standings so far. His impressive results, however, have been interspersed with some unexpected outcomes, including missing finals for the first time since 2018—an unusual occurrence for Wallberg.

Nick Page (USA): The rising American star has left his imprint with 2 top-3 finishes in both moguls and dual moguls, ranking in the top-6 overall after seven competitions in December. With the tour moving to North America and visiting Page's home turf in Deer Valley, he is certainly one to watch in the coming months.

Filip Gravenfors (SWE): Gravenfors, another Swedish contender, who achieved his first career top-3 finish last year, has maintained a consistent performance with 2 top-3 finishes, placing him third in the overall moguls ranking.

Rasmus Stegfeldt (SWE): Stegfeldt has made a significant impact in the moguls World Cup, especially in dual moguls, with 2 top-3 finishes, ensuring three Swedish athletes are in the top-6 of the moguls ranking. In the dual moguls standings, he is second only to Kingsbury.

Women's Moguls: Leading Athletes

Jakara Anthony (AUS): Dominating with 6 wins and 7 top-3 finishes, Anthony has been simply unstoppable, leading the women's moguls standings with her extraordinary performances. Winning all but one competition this season, she holds a substantial lead over her competitors, making a moguls hat-trick in 2023/24 highly probable.

Jaelin Kauf (USA): As the most experienced and decorated athlete on the US women’s team, Kauf, with 1 win and 3 top-3 finishes, poses a significant challenge to her rivals. Currently sitting in the number 3 spot in the overall moguls ranking, her speed and skill are evident.

Rino Yanagimoto (JPN): Filling in for Anri Kawamura, Yanagimoto has stepped up with 3 top-3 finishes in December, positioning her as a strong contender for the overall World Cup top-3, currently holding second place in the ranking.

Olivia Giaccio (USA): Giaccio is undoubtedly having her best World Cup season, with 4 top-3 finishes – more than she achieved in the previous three seasons combined. She should be closely watched as a favorite as the tour heads to North America.

As the season transitions to the North American tour, these athletes are undoubtedly the ones to keep an eye on. Their performances in December have set a high standard for the upcoming competitions, ensuring thrilling and top-tier mogul skiing for the remainder of the 2023/24 season. Stay tuned for more updates as the World Cup season resumes next week in Val St. Come.