Cavet digs deep to find Moguls breakthrough in Bakuriani
Dec 20, 2024·Freestyle
After settling for fourth place in Moguls all season so far, Benjamin Cavet finally found the breakthrough he craved in Georgia.
The Frenchman delivered a sublime run at the FIS Freestyle Moguls World Cup in Bakuriani, scoring 84.08 points to clinch his first World Cup win in four years.
The result, which helped him leapfrog Mikael Kingsbury (CAN)’s 82.93 points, ensured it would not be the same athlete on top of the podium for a third stop in a row.
It was also a sweet day for Severi Vierela (FIN), who achieved his first World Cup podium finish, taking third place with 80.80 points. This was also Finland’s first time in the top three at a World Cup since Jimi Salonen (FIN) at Deer Valley in February 2016.
The significance of his achievement was clear for Cavet.
Said the 30-year-old: “This season, my goal was just to concentrate on my skiing, and focus on what I have to do to ski a good run. Not on what I’m feeling – just on what I have to do to ski well.
“That’s what I did all season. I got lots of fourth places, but I knew that if I could just keep pushing, I’d eventually get a win, so I’m over the moon.”
Giaccio reaps rewards from jump focus
There was similar joy in the women’s Moguls, and the surprise on eventual winner Olivia Giaccio’s (USA) face said it all.
As the only athlete to score over 80 points in the women’s event, the American took first place at the Bakuriani World Cup with ease.
Her 80.19 effort put her well over World Cup leader Perrine Laffont (FRA) who scored 76.53. Jaelin Kauf (USA) rounded out the podium in third place with 76.13 points.
The victory made for Giaccio’s 14th World Cup podium finish, and the third time she was standing on top.
The 24-year-old said: “I just wanted to try and make my superfinal run a bit better than the last run. I was able to do that. I wasn’t sure where I would end up, so I’m very happy to end up with a win.”
Dropping in right after Laffont, Giaccio knew she had to make a high-scoring run. What set her apart from her rivals on Friday was the quality of her jumps.
She said: “I made a few changes over prep season for my jumps, and I still have more to give, which is exciting. Really happy with the way things are working right now.”
The athletes will return to the Kokhta course on Saturday for the Dual Moguls competition. Preliminary rounds start from 09:30 local time, while finals begin at 12:00.
QUICK LINKS
Bakuriani World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc)
Photos: Moguls
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