World Cup Aussie Podium

World Cup Freestyle Deer Valley
by Steve Cuff in Deer Valley
2nd February 2012

Australia's Britteny Cox continued the excellent results Australians have achieved in Deer Valley, Utah, USA with a surprise 4th placing in the female World Cup Mogul event held on the steep challenging Champion course.

Cox held her nerve and started last in the Super Final of four athletes and skied a clean run to place behind winner Hannah Kearney (USA) and Heather McPhie (USA).

Under the flood lit Champion course the final 16 athletes were then cut to the top four for the shootout in the Super Final, introduced new to World Cup moguls this season. With the demanding course brining out the best in the competitors it was full tilt down for all the skiers to attempt to make the finals.

The Canadian’s achieved top honours in the men’s event with Mikael Kingsbury taking 1st, Alexandre Bilodeau 2nd and Norwegian Vinjar Slatten 3rd.
Kingsbury is having a stellar season so far winning his past six events.

Hannah Kearney has also had a brilliant season winning every mogul event in the current season and has not been beaten in World Cup moguls since January 2011.

Cox who competed at the Winter Olympics as a 15 year old is showing her tremendous talent by continuing to improve each year and the podium placing will only add to her confidence.
“It feels absolutely amazing I had no idea that I would have been able to get this here at Deer Valley but I am just so happy with how I skied and a personal best for me so I am stoked,”

“Were obviously ecstatic and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person, she worked very hard to get there and performed very steady tonight and her jumps were great, her jumps are what got her the podium tonight”, said head moguls coach Steve Desovich.

CEO of Olympic Winter Institute of Australia Geoff Lipshut who was attending the event commented, “A phenomenal job by seventeen year old Britteny Cox, just skied tremendously well and did what she has trained to do and executed every single time.”

Fellow Australian athletes Nicole Parks also qualified for the main final and finished a very respectable 13th place, with Taylah Oneill and Matt Graham both failing to make the final sixteen.