World Cup breakthroughs: Moguls first top-3 finishes

The FIS Freestyle Moguls World Cup season has entered its holiday hiatus, eagerly gearing up for the upcoming second half of the season. This much-anticipated phase is set to commence in a mere two weeks, marking the start of the North American tour. The first event in this series is scheduled for January 19-20 in Val St. Come.

Before we delve into the forthcoming events, let's reflect on an exceptionally thrilling December for the moguls World Cup team. This period was marked by seven competitions held across four diverse venues, showcasing an abundance of top-tier action. These events witnessed numerous remarkable performances, including Jakara Anthony's dominance in the women's circuit and Mikael Kingsbury's leadership in the men's category. The US women’s team delivered outstanding performances, paralleled by the impressive results from the Swedish men’s squad.

In addition, the competitions were a breeding ground for numerous personal bests, with several athletes achieving their first World Cup podiums and highlighting these achievements is central to our discussion today.

Rasmus Stegfeldt

Under the guidance of 2022 Olympic Champion Walter Wallberg, the Swedish moguls team has been making significant strides in the 2023/24 season. A key factor in their success is undoubtedly Rasmus Stegfeldt. In 2022, Stegfeldt made a remarkable entrance, winning both the moguls and the overall moguls Europa Cup rankings. This success earned him a full-time spot on the World Cup team, making the 2022/23 season his first full World Cup circuit.

During his debut season, Stegfeldt's best performance was a fifth place in Chiesa in Valmalenco, showcasing his particular prowess in dual moguls.

Fast forward to the 2023/24 season, Stegfeldt started with several top-16 finishes, culminating in his first career podium in Idre's dual moguls. There, he secured second place, surpassing competitors like Nick Page and Ikuma Horishima, only bested by the renowned Mikael Kingsbury.

A week later, Stegfeldt clinched another runner-up position in Alpe d’Huez. As December drew to a close, he ranked second in the dual moguls and fifth in the overall moguls standings, signalling more exciting performances to come from this 25-year-old athlete.

Elliot Vaillancourt

Elliot Vaillancourt’s journey in the World Cup began in 2018 in Calgary. Since then, he has participated in 43 World Cup starts, steadily climbing up the ranks.

The 2021/22 season marked Vaillancourt's first finals appearance, finishing 15th in Alpe d’Huez. He also made notable progress last year with his first super-final appearances in Deer Valley and Almaty.

This season, Vaillancourt finally achieved his long-awaited World Cup podium, placing second in the moguls event in Alpe d’Huez, ending his run with a spectacular crash in the finish area. Now ranked sixth in the moguls standings and tenth overall, the 24-year-old is definitely a competitor to watch as the World Cup season resumes in Canada.

Alli Macuga

The 2022/23 season marked Alli Macuga's World Cup debut, during which she consistently secured top-16 finishes and narrowly missed a podium spot in Almaty, finishing fourth in dual moguls. She ended the dual moguls season ranked tenth and was honored with the Rookie of the Year award. Macuga also dominated the Nor-Am Cup, winning all three moguls rankings, and clinched two gold medals at the Junior World Championships in Chiesa in Valmalenco.

Macuga commenced the 2023/24 World Cup campaign with a solid 10th place in Ruka and followed it with final appearances in Idre and Alpe d’Huez. In France, she stepped up her game to secure her career's first World Cup top-3 in duals. Along with two fourth-place finishes in Bakuriani, Macuga now ranks fifth in the dual moguls and ninth in the overall standings.

Maia Schwinghammer

22-year-old Maia Schwinghammer has been consistently achieving top-16 results over the past two seasons, including several big final appearances. In 2022, she secured sixth place in Chiesa in Valmalenco, fifth in Val St. Come, and fourth in Deer Valley.

Her remarkable performance at the 2023 World Championships in Bakuriani, where she finished fifth in moguls and eighth in dual moguls, was a testament to her growing prowess. Fast-forward a few months, and Schwinghammer concluded an exhilarating December with her first World Cup top-2 finish in the final competition of 2023.Her journey to this outstanding result involved overcoming stiff competition, including rivals like Rino Yanagimoto and Alli Macuga.

As 2023 concluded on a high note, Schwinghammer is undoubtedly eager for more triumphs as the World Cup season progresses to Canada. Fans and followers should keep a keen eye on Schwinghammer once the competition reaches Val St. Come.