Kingsbury takes gold at moguls for 100th World Cup win

Canadian freestyle skier Mikael Kingsbury made history Friday night by becoming the first athlete to reach 100 World Cup victories in freestyle skiing, winning the men’s singles moguls event at Val St-Côme, Que.

The 33-year-old from Deux-Montagnes, Que., scored 85.83 points on home snow. Australia’s Matt Graham finished second with 83.50, and American Nick Page took bronze at 80.96. Fired up about the milestone accomplishment, Kingsbury celebrated at the finish line as he raced into Canadian history books.

Organizers cancelled the superfinal due to dense fog and poor visibility, so results were decided based on qualification scores. Kingsbury still delivered one of the top runs of the night, executing clean jumps under difficult conditions.

The victory marked his return after withdrawing from the World Cup opener in Ruka, Finland, in December because of a groin injury sustained during summer training. Kingsbury said fatherhood shifted his priorities, but his performances have remained elite, even after the birth of his son Henrik in August 2024.

Kingsbury already owns nearly every major moguls record, including a record 29 Crystal Globes and nine consecutive overall freestyle titles from the 2011-12 through 2019-20 seasons. In February 2024, he surpassed Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark’s long-standing mark of 86 World Cup wins, the most by a male athlete across skiing and snowboarding disciplines.

A nine-time world champion, Kingsbury has medaled at all three Olympic Games he has competed in. He won gold at PyeongChang 2018 and silver at both Sochi 2014 and Beijing 2022. His Beijing silver made him the first male moguls skier to win three Olympic medals.

Kingsbury remains one of Canada’s top medal hopes for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, where dual moguls will make its Olympic debut.