Australia's Anthony makes Olympic history with dual moguls gold

LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Jakara Anthony rebounded from midweek disappointment to make history Saturday, winning gold in the Olympic debut of women's dual moguls at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

Anthony, the favorite in singles moguls who made a costly error earlier in the week, delivered under pressure at Livigno Snow Park, edging world champion Jaelin Kauf of the United States in the medal round to become the first Olympic champion in the head-to-head format.

"It's a really special one," Anthony said. "To turn it around from the disappointment of singles and come out with the performance I know I'm capable of - with my team behind me - that's what I'm most proud of."

The dual moguls event pits two skiers side by side on the same course, directly comparing speed and style while adding the pressure of a rival in peripheral vision. Flat-light conditions added another challenge, prompting staff to scatter pine needles to break up the glare as light snow fell.

Anthony was sharper and faster in the super final, winning 20-15 to secure gold.

Kauf earned her second silver of the Games and the third Olympic silver of her career. American teammate Elizabeth Lemley, the singles champion, took bronze despite a sore elbow, beating France's Perrine Laffont.

"I just skied it like any other run and blocked out the pain," Lemley said.

"Duals has always been such a favorite event in the moguls skiing community, and so to have it on the Olympic stage," said Kauf. "People were loving it here. I hope everyone watching on TV loved it as much as we did. It's really cool." ■