Gutsy jump pays off for Wang in Almaty, Peel in pole position with fourth win
Mar 02, 2025·Freestyle)
As the last one to take the slope at Almaty’s Shymbulak Mountain Resort, Wang Xindi (CHN) had several tough acts to follow.
His stiffest competitors had landed high-quality, high-scoring jumps before him in quick succession. As the top qualifier to the superfinal, all eyes were on the 29-year-old Chinese.
Not that the pressure held him back. In fact, Wang shouldered it with ease as he sped towards the kickers to deliver the best score of the competition.
He executed the back double full-full-double full, a trick with the highest degree of difficulty of the day, to score 127.50 points and take first place.
It was a win that has been a long time coming for Wang – his first World Cup win in three years, following his win at the Deer Valley stop in 2022.
It meant Switzerland’s Noe Roth (SUI) had to settle for second place, after landing a beautiful back double full-full-full to take 126.70 points.
China’s Qi Guangpu (CHN) landed the same trick, scoring 122.62 points to take third place.
The reigning Olympic champion retains the yellow bib and continues to put himself in good stead to take the season title as the circuit moves to its final stop in Italy later this month.
Peel goes from bottom qualifier to top of podium
In the women’s contest, the season’s best performers knew a top-quality jump was necessary to leap onto the podium, and half the field in the superfinal opted for the back full-full-full in their attempts to do so.
Laura Peel (AUS), arguably the most consistent on tour this season in the triples, was stellar once again. She stomped her trick beautifully in the superfinal to score 115.91 points and take first place.
It completed a terrific turnaround, after she squeezed in the first round of finals in 12th.
Xu Mengtao (CHN), meanwhile, managed second with a 101.74 effort. Danielle Scott (AUS), wearing the blue bib, landed a back double-full-full that was good enough for 87.06 points to take third place.
On her fourth World Cup win of the season, Peel said: “I feel great, really relieved. I think I got a little lucky – I snuck into the final, so I’m just happy to be jumping.”
Peel is in pole position to wrap up the season in Livigno later this month with a Crystal Globe, as she leads the standings 78 points ahead of Xu.
She said: “I’m in a good spot, but I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. One jump at a time, but I’m really happy.”
The Freestyle Skiing World Cup circuit takes a brief break, and will travel back to Europe for the final stop of the season when the Olympic test event takes place in Livigno, Italy from 11 to 13 March.
QUICK LINKS
Almaty World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc)
Photos: Aerials
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