Australia's Jakara Anthony wins moguls gold at Beijing Winter Olympics (2024)

Well, we didn't know how things would go - it's been an up and down night at Zhangjiakou.

Sophie Ash made it through Q2 to reach the finals, then she and Britteny Cox found the going a bit too hot in final 1, but Jakara Anthony maintained her dominant position to advance.

She kept hitting those 80-plus scores, landing big air and getting the job done.

Even when challenged in the final by speed queen Jaelin Kauf, she produced the run of the competition to claim gold.

That's where we'll leave it. We'll have colour coverage in the morning from our man in Beijing, Simon Smale, including the reaction from Jakara Anthony.

For now, thank you for joining us on our live blog, and from me, Andrew McGarry, it's a good night to all.

While we're waiting to hear from Australia's newest gold medallist, you have to think this will give a huge boost to the team.

Together with Tess Coady's bronze medal in the snowboard slopestyle, it's a fabulous start to the campaign.

We've still got the likes of Bree Walker in monobob, Scotty James in the halfpipe, Jaclyn Narracott in the skeleton and Belle Brockhurst in snowboard cross still to come.

GOLD: Jakara Anthony (Australia) 83.09

SILVER: Jaelin Kauf (United States) 80.28

BRONZE: Anastasiia Smirnova (ROC) 77.72

What an amazing final to watch!!! Go, Jakara!!!!! Well done to her and all of the athletes that competed today!!

-M

Nerves of steel! It’s one thing to be red hot favourite and it’s another to deliver - so well done!

-Sproj

AMAZING!!

-One word

Well done Jakara Anthony!

-Mike

Woohoo! Fantastic result for Jakara Anthony! And shout out to Brittney and Ash for doing so well. Queen of moguls....Gold! Gold! Gold! Tell me that wasn't worth staying up for!

-Mogul magic!

Was it the perfect backflip mute grab at the bottom of the course? Was it the air and the solid turns?

Who knows, but the Australian has put in a golden performance, the team's first since Lydia Lassila and Torah Bright in Vancouver 12 years ago.

This also means it's the first time ever that Australia has won two medals on the same day of a Winter Games.

Just brilliant!

There is one competitor left, and it's Australia's Jakara Anthony.

She needs another 80-plus. What will she do?

A great first jump - she is hitting the turns and a great middle.

She's solid, she gets the second jump - she's home in 27.63!

What will the judges do?

Can the American speed queen get it done?

She flies down as usual. her first jump is big, and she's in the zone through the middle.

What about the last jump? It's big, and she's fast - 26.37!

And she hits the front with 80.28! Over to you, Jakara Anthony.

What can Kawamura do? A medal is within the 17-year-old's grasp.

If she can get an 80 here she can set the cat among the pigeons.

Its a big first jump, good through the middle - and a great second jump.

28 seconds dead. Can she hit the front?

NO! It's 77.12. Three competitors within a point of each other right now. Two left.

It's reverse order for the Super final. Next up is debutant Anastasiia Smirnova from the ROC.

Big bottom jump, a decent time of 27.59.

She scores 77.72 - that means we will have a new champion.

American Olivia Giaccio is first up in the Super final.

It's not that fast, a reasonable run but nothing spectacular. She earns 75.61 - that won't be a medal, I don't think.

Next is defending champion Perrine Laffont of France. What can she do?

She goes out fast, reasonable jump - the middle is ok, last jump slow but landed well.

She gets 77.36. That's first - for now.

So where are we at with the medal round to go?

Queensland's Jakara Anthony has been the best all the way through this competition - but there are no guarantees.

Strap yourselves in this won't take long.

Can she do it again?

She's off solid, a good first jump.

Solid middle section - a backflip mute grab on the second air. It's all good. She will go through, a time of 27.82. The air points 17.74, that's big!

She tops final 2 as well - 81.29.

The Aussie is one good run away from a medal ... one great run away from a gold!

Kawamura had a blinder in final 1. Can she go better in final 2?

She has a great middle section and a solid second jump, the time is 28.37. The score? 78.84 - she's through.

Now there is one competitor left...

She lands her first jump but is slow out of it, gets things going but has another little slip before the second jump.

A time of 27.93, not a perfect run, but 77.62 will put her through.

Olivia Giaccio of the US is next up - she goes well, but barely sticks the landing on her bottom jump.

Her time of 29.51 is not that fast, but she scores 77.57 and she will make the top six.

Now the US has another in the final.

Jaelin Kauf has pure speed - she stops the clock at 26.49!

Everything else is good, and she cracks the 80 point mark with 80.12. She is right in it for a medal now if she can replicate that in the Super final.

Now Pyeongchang bronze medallist Yuliya Galysheva has had problems with her pole plants on the way down as well. She doesn't fall but she loses momentum, and her score of 49.74 is not enough.

There are three more Americans to come in final 2 - the first is Kai Owens. She has a big wobble right before her second jump, somehow manages to regather and land it, and goes over in a decent time.

But her score of 65.49 will not make the grade.

We have another crash for Canada! Sofiane Gagnon loses control early, plants her pole but it doesn't go in right and she takes a fall.

She looks ok and skis to the bottom safely, but that is very disappointing.