Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury wins singles moguls gold at world championships

Feb 8, 2019 | 9:15 PM

DEER VALLEY, Utah — Canadian Mikael Kingsbury is back on top at the world championships.

The 2018 Olympic gold medallist was crowned world champion in single moguls on Friday at the FIS Freestyle World Championships after putting down a score of 84.89 in his final run.

“That title feels good,” said Kingsbury.

“My last two days of training weren’t my best, wasn’t skiing the way I wanted, the conditions were very tricky because of a huge snow storm two days ago. (But) today I woke up and felt amazing and started skiing very well before qualification.”

The 26-year-old Kingsbury won his first world championship gold in 2013 and has medalled in all five appearances at the worlds, with silver in 2015 and bronze in 2011 and 2017 in the moguls singles events.

He currently holds the three most prestigious mogul crowns — the other two being the 2018 Olympic champion and the 2017-18 Mogul World Cup champion.

The Deux-Montagnes, Que., native seems to be on the right track to defend his World Cup title in the 2018-19 overall mogul ranking having won five of six events so far this winter.

He has 53 World Cup gold medals in his career that all have a place at his parent’s home.

“There’s quite a lot, some of them are in boxes. My Olympic medals and world championship medals are in a little display,” said Kingsbury.

Kingsbury says it isn’t difficult to stay motivated even with all the hardware.

“I just love what I do and the guys I compete against push me everyday,” said Kingsbury. “I’m still in love with competition, pressure, all those pressure moments are like a drug to me.”

Australian Matt Graham (81.94) was second and Japan’s Daichi Hara (81.66) came third. Defending champion Ikuma Horishima of Japan had to settle for fourth place with 81.30 points.

Philippe Marquis of Quebec City, the other Canadian to reach the final rounds in the men’s competition, took sixth place with a score of 79.50, matching his best career ranking at a world championship.

“I feel that the circle is complete, it is the return in strength that I wanted,” said Marquis, who only returned to competition in January this year after a long recovery due to a knee injury.

Justine Dufour-Lapointe was the best of four Canadians who competed in the women’s final rounds with a fifth-place finish with a score of 71.25. 

It’s the first time in four career world championships that the 24-year-old from Montreal has not reached the podium in the mogul singles event, having won gold in 2015 and bronze in 2013 and 2017.

Sofiane Gagnon, from Whistler, B.C., reached the first final at her first career world championships and finished 10th. Maia Schwinghammer of Saskatoon earned her place in the final through qualifying, but the 17-year-old injured herself in a fall at the finish line and was unable to pursue.

The women’s world title went to Yulia Galysheva (79.14) of Kazahkstan. Australian Jakara Anthony (78.99) was second and France’s Perrine Laffont (78.70) placed third.

The Canadian Press