Beijing Winter Olympics Live Blog: Australia’s Jakara Anthony chasing medal in women’s moguls final

Olympic champion Perrine Laffont

She lands her first jump but delays, gets things going but has another small skid before the second jump.

A time of 27.93, not a perfect run, but 77.62 will get it through.

Olivia Giaccio of the USA is next – she is doing well but barely landing on her low jump.

Her time of 29.51 isn’t that fast, but she scores 77.57 and she’ll be in the top six.

Now the United States have another one in the final.

Jaelin Kauf has pure speed – she stops the clock at 26:49!

Everything else is good, and she crosses the 80-point mark with 80.12. She’s right for a medal now if she can replicate that in the Super Final.

Now Pyeongchang bronze medalist Yuliya Galysheva also struggled with her posts on the way down. She does not fall but loses momentum, and her score of 49.74 is not good enough.

There are three more Americans to come in Final 2 – the first is Kai Owens. She has a big swing right before her second jump, somehow manages to collect and land, and passes in a decent time.

But his score of 65.49 will not measure up.

Canadian Sofiane Gagnon collapses

We have another crash for Canada! Sofiane Gagnon loses control early, plants her pole but it doesn’t fit well and she falls.

She looks good and skis to the bottom safely, but it’s very disappointing.

Beginner Anastasia Smirnova du ROC does some nice jumps, hits runs and does a fast time.

She takes the lead in 78.64, she could qualify for the Super final with this kind of figure!

Remember that the top six advance here.

Britain’s Makayla Gerken Schofield scores 73.04 – her competition probably ends here.

Women’s moguls, final 2

Canadian Chloé Dufour-Lapointe – who saw her sister Justine crash earlier – is the first to be drawn in Final 2.

She has a short time near the finish line and loses points in the turns to finish with 72.96. It will not pass.

Next on the list is American Hannah Soar – who hasn’t really lived up to her name on the jumps – has a slow run. She scores 75.16.

Australians Britteny Cox and Sophie Ash bow out

So only one Aussie qualifies for the last 12 – but Jakara Anthony looks set to win it.

For Britteny Cox (14th) and Sophie Ash (16th) the competition stops here. We’ll see what happens in Final 2 shortly, but so far Anthony has the two highest scores in the entire competition.

Australian Jakara Anthony

Jakara Anthony is present tonight!

A brilliant first jump, she succeeds perfectly! She runs in the mid section, she looks great.

Dumb backflip on his second jump – again, great.

She crosses the limit and she is happy!

And that’s the best score of 81.91! Top qualifier!

Defending Champion Perrine Laffont of France

Those bottom contenders are the Q1 leaders, and so we get defending champion Perrine Laffont, who goes down in top form with a score of 79.86. She is finished. American Jaelin Kauf had 79.32.

Japanese Anri Kawamura beats 80 points

We have a new leader – Japan Anri Kawamura worked his way around the course, landing some nice jumps and maintaining his form at the bottom.

She’s very happy when she crosses the line – and she should be! A time of 27.90 seconds, and a score of 80.72! This is the clear track for now.

American Olivia Giaccio scores 78.37 to move into second place, pushing the Australians further up the standings.

Sophie Ash will miss Final 2, and Britteny Cox is hanging on for the moment in 11th.

Australia’s Britteny Cox in Final 1

Britteny Cox, the second of three Australians in Final 1, is next.

She is doing well and running a faster race, finishing in 30.04.

His jumps were decent and his turns decent – but his score of 73.04 puts him sixth… now eighth after the last skiers.

I don’t know if that will be enough to pass, we will have to see.

Sochi champion Justine Dufour-Lapointe crashes

We had a crash!

Sochi gold medalist – and Pyeongchang silver medalist – Justine Dufour-Lapointe crashed during her run after losing it in the midsection.

There are some very disappointed Canadians on the course.

She is fine but will not pass.

Australian Sophie Ash in final 1

It runs a clean course, with reasonable turns and good jumps, but it’s not fast – 30.57.

His score is 70.47 – not as good as his Q2 score.

That puts her fifth, but there are a lot more competitors ahead and she might struggle to advance from here.

We see competitors trying to balance their exit as fast as possible while maintaining control and nailing jumps and landings.

What will Sophie Ash’s game plan be? Will she go to hell for the leather or try to nail her turns and jumps?

We will know soon.

New leader

American Kai Owens improves things with a 75.26…and now Sochi silver medalist Chloe Dufour-Lapointe, in her fourth Olympics, clocks 73.60.

Sophie Ash is up in time for three skiers.

France Camille Cabrol is the first – she finishes her run and scores 70.31.

Next in action is Kazakhstan Yulia Galysheva …and she records a run of 74.97 to set the new mark.

Will we see 80s in this section, or will we have to wait until Finals 2 or 3?

It’s time for the Women’s Moguls Final 1

Then everything starts again, at the level of the scores. It is a direct competition, the 12 best scores pass, the others retire.

We will have to wait for eighth place for Sophie Ash as the first of the Australians, then Britteny Cox in 12th and Jakara Anthony 20th and last to race.

Let’s see what happens!

I’m not surprised that Sophie likes the conditions, she looks cool.

-Mike

Fun fact, Mike – Sophia and Gaby Ash are the first sisters selected for the Australian Winter Olympics. Gabi will participate in the aerials, and Sophie will soon have the chance to go further in the moguls finals.

Aussie skier kicked out of Beijing giant slalom after COVID test drama

Besides curling, there has been another COVID-related drama with Team Australia.

Skier Katie Parker will miss tomorrow’s giant slalom.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said Parker’s arrival was delayed because she had returned “in progress” positive COVID-19 tests.

She has since returned negative results but will not arrive in Beijing until Tuesday, a day after the women’s giant slalom is held.

For more details on Katie Parker’s ski dramas, check out our story.