Jakara Anthony has secured her second Olympic gold medal and Australia’s third of the Milano Cortina Games, making history as the first ever Olympic champion in the women’s dual moguls event. The 27-year-old’s victory comes after a challenging defence of her Beijing title in the regular moguls competition, where she lost her footing during the medal round.
Anthony dominated the initial stages of the dual moguls, showcasing a ruthless efficiency before facing a series of American competitors. Her run included a decisive semi-final win against Elizabeth Lemley, who had previously claimed gold in the singles event. In the final, Anthony triumphed over Jaelin Kauf, earning a score of 20 to Kauf’s 15, and securing the gold medal. The victory was met with enthusiastic support from Australian fans, who waved yellow kangaroo inflatables on the Livigno course.
Kauf’s performance earned her a second silver medal of the Games, while Lemley secured her second medal, a bronze, after defeating France’s Perrine Laffont in the bronze medal final. Anthony’s win marks a historic achievement for Australia, making her the first Australian winter athlete to win two Olympic gold medals. The 2026 Games are now the most successful Winter Olympics for the nation, with Anthony joining fellow gold medallists Cooper Woods (moguls skiing) and Josie Baff (snowboard cross), and silver medallist Scotty James (men’s snowboard halfpipe).
The dual moguls event, new to the Olympic program this year, sees skiers race side-by-side down a mogul course, judged on their turns, jumps, and speed. Anthony’s success is particularly notable given her eighth-place finish in the singles moguls event, where a stumble in her second run prevented her from defending her title.
Despite a heartbreaking loss in the men’s snowboard halfpipe final, Scotty James has expressed his intention to continue competing, potentially aiming for another gold medal in four years. The 31-year-old acknowledged the growing strength of Japanese riders, particularly Yuto Totsuka, who secured the gold medal. “It’s OK to be upset, it’s all right to cry. It’s OK to get frustrated, and it’s OK to not achieve exactly what you want,” James said, adding that he looks forward to sharing the experience with his son.
The Australian team as well faced a setback with the withdrawal of Laura Peel, the two-time aerials world champion, due to a serious knee injury. Peel ruptured her ACL during a pre-Games training camp in Switzerland in early February, but had hoped to compete despite the injury. She announced her withdrawal on social media, stating that her knee was not stable enough to perform the necessary maneuvers. “Today this sport feels cruel, but the people it has brought into my life will always indicate more than any medal ever could – both would have been nice though,” she wrote.
