PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury stormed his way to gold in men’s moguls, filling the one hole in his resume with a dynamic performance in the final round on Monday night.
Kingsbury, a six-time world champion and silver medalist in Sochi four years ago, posted a score of 86.63, the best of any in the three elimination rounds. His victory gives Canada its third straight Olympic gold in the event.
A rare wobble in the 2014 Olympic finals cost Kingsbury the top spot on the podium. There were no mistakes this time. Kingsbury drilled his 250-meter sprint down the series of bumps and jumps, his knees practically stapled together as he darted down the hill. The 25-year-old celebrated with a fist pump following his electric winning run at a frigid Phoenix Snow Park.
Matt Graham of Australia took silver and Daichi Hara of Japan earned bronze, each picking up the first medal of the games for their countries. Canada’s Marc-Antoine Gagnon finished fourth and American Casey Andringa made a surprise run to the finals before winding up fifth.
Kingsbury arrived in South Korea as the heavy favorite, admitting he felt like in some ways he has a target on his back, as tends to happen when you capture six consecutive world championships and put together a record 13-race unbeaten streak.
Olympic gold was the only thing missing in an effort to stamp himself as one of the best skiers in the history of the discipline. He played it safe during the opening rounds of finals, posting the fourth-best score in round one and the second-best to Hara in round two.
Kingsbury, who drew a picture of the Olympic rings as a child and taped them to the ceiling above his bed, is able to reach a gear his rivals can’t match when the pressure is turned up. He took a deep breath before his final run and attacked the course that claimed several of the top skiers in the world. The list included Japan’s Ikuma Horishima, who had ended Kingsbury’s winning streak last month.
Not this time. Kingsbury wears a T-shirt that reads “It’s Good To Be The King” underneath his skiing gear for a reason. He competes with a swagger and athleticism that leaves his opponents in awe.
“What he does is just incredible,” Andringa said. “I’m sure everyone here has studied it, trying to crack the code, and I just don’t know if there is a code. I don’t think that anyone is going to beat him trying to replicate what he does.”
Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 10 a.m. on Feb. 12, 2018.