Kingsbury kicks off World Cup season with moguls gold in Finland
Mikael Kingsbury kicked off his campaign for a sixth straight Crystal Globe with a victory in the season-opening moguls World Cup stop in Ruka, Finland on Saturday.
Kingsbury won the gold medal with a score of 84.26, putting him on the top step of the podium ahead of Australian Matt Graham (80.30) and France’s Benjamin Cavet (80.11). A second Canadian, Philippe Marquis, was also among the six men advancing to the second final run, placing sixth. Marc-Antoine Gagnon finished 10th in the first final run.
This was the 34th World Cup victory of Kingsbury’s career, adding to his record total, and his 54th podium in just 70 World Cup starts. He had been the top qualifier for the first phase of the final, where he was also the top scorer heading into the second final run.
Olympic champion Justine Dufour-Lapointe was the top Canadian woman, finishing fifth in the second final run. Four other Canadians had advanced to the first final run, with Maxime Dufour-Lapointe placing eighth, followed immediately by Audrey Robichaud in ninth and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe in 10th, with Andi Naude in 16th.
