Lemley Second in Italy
Elizabeth Lemley claimed her third World Cup podium of the season and her career with a second place in Dual Moguls in Chiesa in Valmalenco Feb. 11.
“Today was good,” said Lemley from the finish. “It was pretty cool [to get another podium ahead of World Champs], I’m definitely feeling more confident with this result. I’m looking forward to some rest and recovery.”
This marks the end of three weeks of back-to-back-to-back competition weekends and travel across three countries for the moguls crew.
Lemley battled France’s Perrine Laffont in the Big Final, pushing her speed on the steep, technical course but tripped up just before the bottom air, crossing the line second. Laffont took the victory and Japan’s Anri Kawamura rounded out the podium in third.
Four American women represented the U.S. in the Round of Eight: Lemley, Olivia Giaccio, Jaelin Kauf and Tess Johnson. Giaccio was having a day, skiing clean and strong and finished in fourth - tying her best World Cup result of the season so far. Kauf met Lemley in the Quarter Final in a round of American friendly fire. Both women pushed, Lemley made a line switch in the middle and Kauf backslapped off the bottom air, with Lemley ultimately taking the win to progress on. Kauf finished seventh. Johnson finished 16th aftering dueling Kauf in the Round of Eight.
Two American men progressed through to the Round of Eight: Dylan Walczyk and Cole McDonald. Walczyk skied true to his run all day, eventually making it to the Small Final where he met Canada’s Julien Viel. Viel took the victory and the third-place finish. Walczyk finished the day in fourth, his best result of the season so far.
McDonald met Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury in the Round of Eight. The two men pushed each other, and although Kingsbury had a few bobbles in the middle, he took the round and progressed through, eventually finishing in second place. Japan’s Ikuma Horishima won the event for the men. McDonald finished 12th.
Lulu Shaffer finished 25th, Dylan Marcellini finished 27th and Nick Page finished 31st.
The moguls’ FIS World Cup tour takes a break for World Championships later this month and will return for World Cup Finals in Kazakhstan in March.
