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The Australian team has already surpassed its previous Olympic medal achievements at the halfway point of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Team chef de mission Alisa Camplin expressed her amazement at the team’s accomplishments, calling the performance “mind-blowing.”
In a historic moment, Jakara Anthony outshone snowboarder Scotty James, becoming Australia’s most decorated Winter Olympian. Anthony achieved this feat by securing the country’s first-ever gold medal in dual moguls on Saturday.
Anthony had entered the Olympics as a strong contender, especially after her victory in Beijing. However, she was unable to defend her title in the individual event due to an unexpected slip in the medal round just days earlier.
With Anthony’s latest triumph, Australia’s medal count rose to four, with still a week left in the Games. Her gold medal complements those earned by her moguls teammate Cooper Woods and snowboard cross racer Josie Baff, as well as a silver won by the five-time Olympian Scotty James in the halfpipe.
In the previous Winter Olympics in Beijing, Australia had also claimed four medals, though only one was gold. This year’s performance marks a significant improvement and highlights the team’s growing prowess on the international stage.
‘We’re in unprecedented times for winter sport’
“We had four medals in Beijing, and back in 2010 we had two golds and a silver, and we now have three golds and a silver, so we’ve certainly surpassed previous performances,” said Camplin, herself a two-time aerials medallist.
“It was hard last night seeing Scotty James, he was gunning for gold and until today he was our most decorated Olympian with bronze and two silver and now Jakara winning two golds, we’re in rarified air. It’s unprecedented times for winter sport.
There are more medal chances to come with Woods and Matt Graham leading the charge in the men’s dual moguls on Sunday, while Bree Walker is ranked world No. 2 in the monobob and teenage freeskier Indra Brown has won a World Cup in the halfpipe.
While Laura Peel was forced out of the aerials after rupturing her ACL, fellow veteran Danielle Scott could also podium.
“Every team is unique and we’ve just grown over time. The inter-generational sharing of experience and culture and wisdom and ongoing funding from the government, it’s enabled us to build and build and build,” Camplin said.
“It’s everything we could have dreamed of. We had a great team, highly-credentialed and we’re only halfway through and we’ve had our most historic result so I’m pretty overwhelmed to be honest.
“When we looked at the schedule of the way the Games was set up, there was potential for it to happen.
“You’re talking about serious competitors. None of these have been good luck — they’ve all been hard work and preparation.
“We’ve worked really hard as a winter sport community and industry to deliver those kinds of results.
“Across all clusters we’re just in this amazing space of teamwork and culture of good people and excellence and I hope Australia can feel it and that we’re inspiring everyone back home because what’s happening is pretty special.”
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