Mikaël Kingsbury, individual bronze medalist at the Freestyle Ski World Cup in Bakouriani, Georgia, on Friday, would have liked to go back in time a few seconds after his relegation in the super final. So he would have repeated his second jump to land it better and climb a step or two on the podium.
Back on the track where he was crowned double world champion last winter, the Quebecer won his seventh medal of the 2023-2024 season, his fifth in an individual competition.
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At first he succeeded[sa] “Best qualification of the season,” then concluded the first final with the lead over the Japanese Ikuma Horishima and the Swede Filip Gravenfors.
Before the grand finale began, it started to snow and the temperature rose. The skier from Deux-Montagnes successfully completed his first jump and maneuvered well in the middle part of the route while maintaining a good speed. When he entered the second ramp he had some difficulties.
“When I went into the bottom jump, I felt like I was stuck,” Kingsbury said. As you get into slightly wetter snow, you'll feel it slow down and push your chest forward, then pick up speed again. I felt that a bit and I didn't manage to get a good start. This meant that my jump was a little off and my landing was significantly less good. [qu’à l’habitude].”
The jury awarded a score of 75.21 to the Quebecer, who finished 1.90 behind the winner. Only Horishima (77.11) and Gravenfors (75.85) performed better in this round.
Thanks to this bronze medal, Kingsbury remains at the top of the World Cup rankings. He has a lead of 20 points over Horishima in the individual and 80 points in the overall ranking.
“That meant I was still able to finish third and I'm really happy with that, but it's safe to say I rode on a day where I could have been aiming for a win. So I'm disappointed and angry with myself. I know I could have jumped better and adjusted a little better,” he shared.
“It's the kind of jump that makes you want to go back and do it again and know you'll get there. Especially if it’s the only jump you missed at this venue this weekend, it’s a shame if it happens in the super final!”
The Canadian team stands out
Four Quebecers made it into the top 10. The feat is timely, as the next stop of the World Championship is scheduled for January 19th and 20th in Val Saint-Côme.
On Friday, the bronze medalist was accompanied in the grand final by his compatriot Julien Viel. The latter achieved the best individual result of his career with fifth place with 73.16 points. Elliot Vaillancourt and Louis-David Chalifoux reached the first final, where they finished eighth and ninth. Gabriel Dufresne finished 20th in qualifying.
Note that Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert ultimately did not compete in the women's competition.
The Bakouriani World Cup ends on Saturday in the parallel mogul race.