Anthony powers to historic third Aussie Olympic gold
Melissa Woods |
Ski superstar Jakara Anthony was back smiling after making Olympic history as the first Australian athlete ever to annex two Winter Games gold medals.
The 27-year-old landed Australia’s historic third gold of the Milan-Cortina Games by clinching the first-ever dual moguls title in the Livigno snow on Saturday.
It made it the best Winter Olympics in Australia’s sporting history and sealed a glorious comeback after Anthony’s heartbreak earlier in the week.
She had entered the new event to the Olympic program with steely determination after failing to defend her Beijing title in the regular event when she crossed her skis during her medal round run just three days earlier.
Anthony admitted she had some self-doubt following the shattering result, when she finished eighth after appearing the best skier in the field.
“I was doubting myself a bit this morning after what happened the other day,” she said.
“That was really heartbreaking, the singles. I came in here with such a great chance of taking home that top step, but elite sport, you know, it’s hundredths of a second, and one little mistake, and it was all over.
“To be able to turn that around with the help of my support crew around me, has been a pretty massive feat, I think, and makes this medal even more special.”
Anthony swept through the early rounds in ruthless fashion and then downed three Americans in a row, including beating singles champion Elizabeth Lemley in the semi-finals.
With skiers racing side by side down the Livigno course and judged on turns, jumps and speed in difficult conditions as the snow tumbled down, the Victorian overcame American Jaelin Kauf in the big final to take the crown.
Judges awarded Anthony the victory, scoring 20 points to 15.
It was Kauf’s second silver medal of the Games while a shaken Lemley also bagged her second medal, pipping France’s Perrine Laffont in the small final to claim bronze.
Anthony was relieved after her lack of recent experience in the head-to-head event.
“This was only my second duals event in about two-and-a-half years after missing the whole of last season with the injury, and then a lot of events getting cancelled this year so I only got the one event leading in,” she said.
“So, you know, there were just a lot of unknowns, also first duals event at the Olympics so we didn’t really know how certain things were going to go.”
In Australia’s greatest Winter Games, Anthony has joined fellow moguls skier Cooper Woods and snowboard cross racer Josie Baff as Olympic champions in Italy while Scotty James won a silver medal in the men’s snowboard halfpipe.
“For it to be the first ever dual moguls gold medal at the Olympics given out, to be the first Australian to have two gold medals, to have been able to overcome the adversity of the other day and bounce back and put down that performance,” the three-time Olympian said.
“And to have taken home two gold medals in moguls with Cooper Woods, we’ve got Josie Baff over in bordercross, Scotty James in the halfpipe … we were saying in the lead up, this is probably our best team yet, and we were expecting big things these Games, and I think the whole team’s delivered across the board. “
AAP
