Australian moguls skier Jakara Anthony is set to defend her Olympic title at the upcoming Winter Games in February 2026 in Milano Cortina, just 100 days away from the competition. Having secured gold at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, Anthony is eager to reclaim her crown following a challenging period of recovery from a collarbone injury sustained in December last year.
At 27, Anthony, who hails from Cairns, will embark on her European season and qualification for the Games soon. She aims to become the first Australian athlete to successfully defend a Winter Olympic title, a feat that holds significant promise with the dual moguls event debuting at the Games, potentially allowing her to pursue double gold.
Return to Competition and Rising Challenges
After training in Brisbane, Anthony expressed mixed emotions about returning to the slopes. “Getting back on the snow … there’s a lot of fear around just going and doing everything for the first time again,” she stated. Fortunately, she confirmed that her injury is fully healed: “The injury’s all good; it’s back in one piece and no issues with it now. That chapter’s done.”
While Anthony was sidelined, the landscape of women’s moguls skiing evolved significantly. French skier and 2018 Olympic gold medallist Perrine Laffont claimed the world champion title, while 20-year-old Australian Charlotte Wilson made headlines by winning a World Cup moguls event, becoming only the third Australian woman to achieve this milestone.
Wilson’s victory was particularly notable as she triumphed over both Laffont and American world number one Jaelin Kauf during her 10th outing. Reflecting on the competitive nature of the field, Anthony remarked, “It was cool to see how competitive the top end of the women’s field was. Maybe there’s a bit more depth. It’s cool to push each other to go that step further and progress the sport.” She acknowledged that the sport has advanced more than she anticipated during her time away.
Looking Ahead to the Olympics
While Anthony and Wilson have yet to compete against each other in a dual moguls race, Wilson has expressed excitement about the potential matchup in Livigno, the site of next year’s Games. “It would be pretty exciting … it’s all a learning curve but I’ve proven that anything can happen,” Wilson said. “It’s so inspirational having an Australian woman as the best in the world. It puts confidence into the program; knowing you’re in the right place … knowing I could be there too.”
Australia’s Olympic team is anticipated to exceed 50 athletes, with final selections expected in January. There is optimism that the team can surpass the best medal haul from the Beijing Games, which included one gold, two silver, and one bronze. Recent successes on the World Cup podium have been achieved by athletes such as Scotty James (snowboarding), Laura Peel (aerials), Matt Graham, Cooper Woods (moguls), Bree Walker (bobsled), Danielle Scott (aerials), and Josie Baff (snowboard cross).
Alisa Camplin-Warner, Australia’s chef de mission and former aerials gold medallist, emphasized the changing perception of Australian athletes on the global stage: “We aren’t really considered underdogs by the rest of the world anymore. We are respected and ones to watch.”
