Industry News
The Australian women’s Aerials team made history Friday, February 7, with a dominant sweep of the podium at the FIS Freestyle World Cup, while the U.S. men delivered a statement performance on home soil in Deer Valley, Utah.
Two-time world champion Laura Peel led the charge, claiming her third straight World Cup victory and the 12th win of her career. Peel secured gold with a score of 87.57, edging out defending World Cup champion Danielle Scott, who finished with 86.31. Abbey Willcox rounded out the podium in third with 81.58, while Airleigh Frigo narrowly missed the medals in fourth place. “It’s incredible, I am so happy,” Scott said. “Deer Valley really is a special place for me. To take out the sweep with Laura, Abbey, and Airleigh in fourth—we are making history. It’s really cool for Australia.”
The Australian squad overcame challenging conditions on the historic 2002 Olympic course. Warm temperatures forced the cancellation of two training days, while heavy snowfall on competition day reshuffled the schedule, leading to a night final. Amid these difficulties, all four Australians advanced to the six-woman super-final, where they executed full-full double twisting double somersaults. Peel’s consistency and execution earned her the win and allowed her to extend her lead in the overall World Cup standings with 310 points, followed by Scott in second with 224. “Every World Cup podium I have had has been in Deer Valley, so it’s cool to continue that streak and share it with two other Aussies,” Willcox said.
The absence of China’s typically dominant aerials team, competing at the Asian Winter Games, created an opportunity for other nations. In the men’s event, 22-year-old American Quinn Dehlinger seized the moment, delivering a high-difficulty back full-double full-full—known as the “Daddy”—to clinch his first World Cup victory in three years with a score of 122.57. “It’s always been a dream to win here at Deer Valley,” Dehlinger said. “Home soil is just something different. This is the Super Bowl of aerials.”
Ukraine’s Dmytro Kotovskyi took silver with 115.49 points, while 2022 Olympic gold medalist Christopher Lillis of the U.S. earned bronze with 104.43. Lillis had attempted the same trick as Dehlinger but struggled on the landing. “First hometown podium I’ve ever had!” Lillis said. “That’s a lot of fun for me. I’ve been dreaming of doing that in front of the Deer Valley crowd.”
Dehlinger’s victory marked a comeback from injury, having spent last season recovering from a knee injury. His decision to attempt a triple somersault in the deteriorating conditions set the tone for the final, with several competitors following his lead.
Deer Valley also hosted the FIS Moguls World Cup last weekend. The next Aerials World Cup event will be held in Beidahu, China, on February 23–24.
