COOPER WOODS WINS GOLD

Mogul skier Cooper Woods has become Australia’s seventh Winter Olympic gold medallist. 

The 25-year-old who had only once been on the moguls World Cup podium delivered a masterclass to come through today’s qualifiers and top the Olympic podium.  

“It’s something you dream of day in day out as a kid – through the hard days, through the good days. It’s an absolute journey,” Woods said.  

Woods dominated all day, laying down a score of 83.60 to top the first final. That meant he was the final rider to ski in the super final – for the first time in his career.  

“I kept telling my coach up there: I’ve got nothing to lose. Let’s get stuck into it! There’s something when there’s so much pressure, where you can just kind of let it all go and just kind of embrace it.”

With all the pressure on, Woods produced an even better score of 83.71 to take the gold. Australian Team flag bearer and 2018 silver medallist Matt Graham (fifth) was the first to celebrate, lifting his teammate up high on his shoulders. 

“I’ve struggled with a lot of self-belief. I’ve had such a good year of training but not competing, and what a time to get it dialled and sorted, when the pressure is at its max,” Woods said. 

He finished with the same score as legendary Canadian Mikael Kingsbury, but Woods had the better turns (48.4 to 47.7) to edge Kingsbury for gold.    

Graham’s score of 80.88 put him in fifth. Jackson Harvey also reached the super final and finished in eighth with a score of 74.93.  

“It’s not just my medal, it’s a lot of other people’s medal . . . My family, teammates, friends, staff. It’s been an absolute journey,” the Perisher skier said.  

“To be skiing not just for myself, but for a lot of other people, brings a lot of pride.” 

Woods, who hails from Cooma, wins Australia’s 20^th Winter Olympic medal and is our 18^th Winter Olympic medallist. 

“Today was magic,” Australian Winter Olympic Team Chef de Mission Alisa Camplin, herself a member of Australia’s exclusive Winter Olympic gold medal club said. “It was just so special to watch. Cooper did three perfect runs – the judges were all about perfection and he was flawless in all three runs. I can’t tell you how hard it is to be that consistent.”

“He’s never been in the last position to go, let alone at the Olympic Games with the weight of the world – and he delivered the best possible result.

“Cooper’s always been a man that rises for the occasion. There wasn’t another man in the field that was flawless. Hats off to Cooper Woods.”

Australian Olympic Committee