Kauf Wins, Johnson Third in Beidahu Dual Moguls
After an impressive day one of competition in Beidahu, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team took it up a notch, qualifying nine athletes on to the finals, where Jaelin Kauf continued her winning streak and Tess Johnson joined her on the podium in third place for the first time in almost two years.
It was another picture-perfect day in China, with the sun peeking through the clouds and a below-freezing temperature keeping the bumps slick and fast, the perfect combination for duals. Due to the lower number of competitors at this event, the women started in the round of 32, and Kauf was able to qualify for the finals automatically.
In the first round, Kylie Kariotis, Kasey Hogg, Olivia Giaccio and Johnson won their duals to advance to finals alongside Kauf. Kai Owens had a tough first-round dual against Hinako Tomitaka (JPN) and finished the day 17th. All four U.S. athletes advanced on the men’s side, including Dylan Walczyk, who dueled Daeyoon Jung (KOR), who has been having a breakout season. Nick Page, Asher Michel and Charlie Mickel joined him in the finals for the round of 16.
The 1/8th finals brought some exciting matchups, including Kariotis against Maia Schwinghammer (CAN), who recently had her first World Cup win. Kariotis threw down and won the dual 21 to 14 against the Canadian. The unfortunate side of dual moguls is when two Americans have to go head to head. Giaccio and Hogg battled it out, and Giaccio advanced to the quarter finals. Hogg finished the day 12th. Mickel had one of the toughest matchups of the day in the round of 16, going up against the king, Mikael Kingsbury (CAN). Mickel has said that he has always wanted to duel Kingsbury, so the challenge was welcomed, and he put up a fight but lost the dual 15 to 20. Mickel finished 12th, Walczyk 14th and Michel 16th.
Kauf went up against Tomitaka (JPN) in the quarter-finals, winning 24 to 11. Kariotis and Giaccio went head to head, and unfortunately, Giaccio suffered a fall that took her out of the competition. Giaccio finished in eighth place. Johnson took on the number three ranked Rino Yanagimoto (JPN) and prevailed, securing herself a spot in the semi-finals and the ability to fight for a medal position. Page also had a battle on his hands in the quarters as he took on Matt Graham (AUS), known as "the missile," for his speed. Page took the win 20 to 15 to advance to the semis.
In the semifinals, Page was paired with Severi Vierela (FIN) who advanced and went on to earn his first career win. Page finished fourth, his fourth top five finish of the season.
Of the four spots available in the semifinals, the U.S. women occupied three, guaranteeing at least two podium finishes. Kauf and Kariotis went head to head in semifinal one, where Kauf dominated to advance to the big final. In semifinal two, Johnson went up against Perrine Laffont (FRA) and just missed the big final, losing 15 to 20.
The small final was an all-American affair, with Johnson and Kariotis battling it out. Kariotis was quick out of the gate, and the competitors were neck and neck the entire way down the course. Unfortunately, Kariotis blew out right before the bottom air. Johnson’s win in the small final brought her to the third spot on the podium, her first podium finish in almost two years and her first duals podium since 2021. Despite skiing out, Kariotis’ performance in the duals earned her a new personal best, finishing fourth, an incredible accomplishment.
The big final was a familiar lineup, with Kauf dueling Laffont once again for the top spot on the podium. Kauf, known for her speed, pushed the pace the entire way down the course, and Laffont couldn’t keep up, having to ski out to save herself from a fall. This is Kauf’s 11th podium finish in a row and fifth consecutive win.
“I’m super happy with my skiing today, the duals were super fun and I’m so stoked to take the win and share the podium with my teammate Tess getting her first podium of the year,” said Kauf.
This win further advances her lead in the overall World Cup season standings. Kauf has been second overall three times, but has never won the overall Crystal Globe. The last American to win an overall Globe was Hannah Kearney in 2015.
Next up, the moguls athletes head to Almaty, Kazakhstan, for another set of moguls and dual moguls events Feb. 28-Mar. 1. Plus, the action in Beidahu continues with aerials on Feb. 23 and mixed aerials team on Feb. 24. Tune in at 1:00 a.m. ET both days on skiandsnowboard.live.
