Team USA Shines in Historic Debut of Women’s Dual Moguls Single-Elimination Event

MILAN, Metropolitan City of Milan — On a bustling and frenetic Saturday morning, the women’s dual moguls event premiered at the Olympics, creating a spectacle that was both “chaotic” and “wild.” Amidst this excitement, the American athletes shone brightly, securing two more medals for Team USA.

Among the standout performers was Jaelin Kauf, a formidable skier from Alta, Wyoming, who came into the event as a favorite. Kauf lived up to expectations, clinching the silver medal. This achievement marks her second silver at the 2026 Winter Games and the third time she has graced the Olympic podium. Earlier in the Games, Kauf also secured a second place in the women’s moguls individual competition. Her Olympic journey kicked off with a silver medal in the same event during the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

In addition to Kauf, the competition featured prominent athletes like France’s Perrine Laffont and Australia’s Olympic champion, Jakara Anthony, both of whom were considered strong contenders.

Elizabeth Lemley, another remarkable American competitor from Vail, Colorado, had already captured gold in the women’s individual moguls earlier in the week. Although she faced a fall and did not finish in her semifinal bout against Anthony, Lemley demonstrated resilience by advancing to the final race for the third-place showdown. Her perseverance paid off, earning her a well-deserved bronze medal, which adds to her impressive roster of achievements.

Anthony fumbled a bit on Wednesday during the women’s mogul individual event and finished second behind Lemley, but the Australian delivered a near-flawless performance on Saturday. Anthony dominated all five single-elimination races and finished the event at the top of the podium to take home gold. Laffont finished fourth. 

Tess Johnson, from Vail, Colorado, and Olivia Giaccio, from Redding, Connecticut, also competed for Team USA, but both were knocked out of the competition during the quarterfinals. Johnson fell short during a single-elimination matchup against Laffont, and Giaccio lost in her matchup against Anthony. 

Dual moguls made its Olympic debut in the 2026 Winter Games. The bone-rattling event is a twist on the classic moguls competition, which has been an official Olympic program since 1992, upping the ante with single-elimination faceoff runs. 

Competitors in the freestyle skiing sport navigate a series of snow mounds, or moguls, while also flipping and twisting off two jumps. 

Dual moguls force two athletes to compete side-by-side on a course divided into two lanes that measure between 200 and 270 meters. Competitors cut down the bumpy ski slope course with two opportunities for jumps and aerial tricks to help secure the highest score. 

The athlete with the highest score advances to the next round and continues through the bracket until the final event.

Scoring is based on a combination of turns (how they handle the moguls, the tighter your legs stay together the better), air (what they do over the jumps) and speed. The evaluations come from either seven judges, split 5-2 for technique, or a panel of five judges split 3-2 for technique and jumps, according to the Olympics.

Turns count for 60% of the total score, while air and speed each count for 20%.

In the case that the competitors tie in speed, they both get only half the speed votes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.