Source : the age
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Livigno: The sun was out, the stage was set. There were Aussies everywhere at the Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park, all hoping to witness a slice of history, and confidently – not arrogantly, but with good reason – anticipating that they would.
Vibes: high. Inflatable kangaroo count: at least six, probably more out of this masthead’s line of sight. Expectation: heavy.
Jakara Anthony’s performance in the final was unexpected.Credit: Getty Images
But there was no hint that events would turn as they did, with the defending Olympic champion missing the women’s moguls podium by a long way.
Jakara Anthony was essentially flawless in qualifying the day prior, and then took things up a notch on Wednesday, throwing down the gauntlet to her challengers in the preliminary run with a score of 83.96. The gap between her and second place was 3.83 points. The gap between second and the eighth – the threshold to reach the decisive race that would follow – was 3.92 points. Those are the numbers, and that is how it felt: like Anthony was on another level.
What came next was a rare error by the 27-year-old, which means that Australia’s search for a first medal of Milano Cortina 2026, of any colour, will continue after five days of action.
Had Anthony simply repeated that first effort, she would have become her nation’s first back-to-back winner at the Winter Olympics. Eventual gold medallist Elizabeth Lemley of the United States, the fourth-last to hit the slopes in the final, laid down a 82.30, so Anthony’s best was not only good enough, but she said she was confident she had even more in her locker to show the world.
But sport, particularly at the Olympics, is never that easy. Sometimes, favourites lose.
As the last to ski, the pressure was absolute. And it told, just before the second jump, when she lost control and veered off the course, immediately falling out of contention.
Her score was 60.81, by some margin the lowest of the final, and a devastating outcome for her and Australia.
“I’m bummed, obviously,” Anthony said. “I’m really proud of the skiing that I was able to do on the course. I was skiing and jumping at such a high level, and skiing with good speed, and I think I really had what it took to take that top step. I showed that in the first couple of rounds but just didn’t put it down on that last one when it counted.
Jakara Anthony stumbles in the final.Credit: AP
“I’m going to go back and watch the video and kind of work it out … instinctively, you kind of want to stretch your foot to a mogul to get control, but you don’t want to do that. I think that’s what I did in there, but I’ve actually got to process it a bit first to kind of go over that.”
Anthony said she had a similar incident at the first FIS World Cup run this season.
“Not the first, probably won’t be the last,” she said. “It’s just the nature of our sport.”
Anthony insisted she was not aware of how the rest of the field had performed and was not affected by any knowledge of Lemley’s performance. But she was nervous, more than she usually would feel.
Australia’s Charlotte Wilson came sixth. Credit: AP
“I’d like to think everyone here is nervous,” she said. “It just means you care about what you’re doing and you’re doing something pretty bloody big. So apart from the nerves, I felt pretty good.”
The shock Anthony was feeling and still digesting was plain to see, but she handled herself with grace as her rivals celebrated around her. Another American, Jaelin Kauf, claimed the silver medal, with bronze going to France’s Perrinne Laffont.
Whoever was controlling the music over the loudspeakers must have had a sense of humour; Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, a song about a deposed ruler’s fall from power, was playing as she embraced her family and supporters.
Before that, there was Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You), and those lyrics now represent Australia’s hopes for her.
The good news is she doesn’t have to wait four years for redemption; there’s only three days until she returns to the same facility for the dual moguls, the first time it will take place at the Olympics.
“I’ve definitely learnt some stuff from skiing it today, but I’m still really happy with my process and how I went about going into this comp,” she said.
The happiest Australian storyline was Charlotte Wilson, the 20-year-old making her Olympic debut. She came sixth, and was thrilled with her performance, but also gutted for Anthony.
“As a team, we win together, we lose together,” Wilson said. “I just gave her a hug and I told her I was proud of her no matter what, and I think she understands that.”
The Winter Olympic Games will be broadcast on the 9Network, 9Now and Stan Sport.
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