Kingsbury Breezes Through Olympic Qualifying - Beritaja

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LIVIGNO – Canadian moguls prima Mikael Kingsbury breezed done qualifying Tuesday astatine the Milan Cortina Olympics, promising location is much to come.

World champion Ikuma Horishima of Japan topped the 30-man freestyle skiing qualifying section pinch a people of 85.42 astatine Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park. Quebec City’s Julien Viel was 2nd astatine 79.56 pinch Kingsbury 3rd astatine 79.11 while Elliot Vaillancourt of Drummondville, Que., was 16th astatine 73.48.

Horishima skied instantly aft Kingsbury, knocking the Canadian retired of apical spot. Kingsbury was unfazed and unimpressed.

“Ikuma does his things,” Kingsbury said successful French. “He raced for illustration a last today, but the Olympic Games won’t beryllium won today. He does what he wants, but I for illustration the script that is building up.”

The 33-year-old from Deux-Montaignes, Que., vanished runner-up to Horishima successful the moguls astatine the March 2025 trial arena astatine Livigno. The Canadian won the dual moguls the adjacent day, pinch Horishima second.

The apical 10 advancement straight to Final 1 astatine the games. The remainder get a 2nd chance via a 2nd information of qualifying, pinch 10 much advancing. The apical 8 competitors aft Final 1 past spell aft the medals successful Final 2.

The men’s qualifying Tuesday was followed by the women, whose 2nd information of qualifying and last goes Wednesday followed by the men Thursday.

Competing successful his 4th Olympics, Kingsbury is looking to adhd to his existing badge haul of 1 gold, from Pyeongchang successful 2018, and 2 silver, from Sochi successful 2014 and Beijing successful 2022.

“Mission accomplished,” said Kingsbury. “Not my champion but we’re done … The bully portion is I could spell faster. I could amended my skiing and I could upgrade my 2 jumps.”

Kingsbury showed his steely broadside Tuesday erstwhile asked about Horishima’s score.

“We’ll spot astatine the extremity really it works,” he said matter-of-factly.

Viel, meanwhile, thought the Japanese skier looked nervous.

“I deliberation he wanted to beryllium first retired of qualifying,” he added

Kingsbury’s pre-Olympic preparations were handled pinch attraction owed to a groin wounded sustained successful training during the summer. But he won connected location snowfall successful Val St-Come, Que., successful January to grounds his 100th FIS World Cup victory.

Viel hit Horishima successful the dual moguls last astatine Val St-Come for his first World Cup win. Kingsbury did not return portion successful the dual moguls.

Viel was happy pinch his tally Tuesday but besides saw room for improvement. The 24-year-old, who conscionable missed retired connected making the Beijing squad 4 years ago, admitted to immoderate nerves.

“Not during the training, not astatine the apical of the course, but this greeting a small spot successful the autobus coming here,” he said. “The power was going down but erstwhile I sewage connected my skis, it was good.”

Vaillancourt, different first-time Olympian, was the first man down the people truthful had to hold successful the commencement gross while officials ensured everything was arsenic it should be.

“I person much to connection but I’m beautiful happy pinch what I did,” said the 26-year-old.

Kingsbury, competing pinch 18-month-old boy Henrik successful tow this time, says he conscionable wants to conscionable person nosy connected the elevation successful Italy.

“I’ve won the Olympics. I’ll beryllium Olympic champion for the remainder of my life,” he said earlier the games. “Right now I’ve conscionable sewage to look astatine it for illustration I person the opportunity to do it again.”

His trophy furniture is already full. Kingsbury, the first antheral moguls skier to gain 3 Olympic medals, is simply a nine-time world champion and has won 29 Crystal Globes.

He gets 2 chances astatine the podium successful Italy pinch dual moguls making its debut successful the Olympic program. Dual moguls sees athletes compete head-to-head connected parallel courses successful a bracket-style format.

In moguls, competitors title down a steep, heavy mogulled people featuring 2 jumps. Each tally is judged connected 3 elements: method turns (worth 60 per cent), aerial manoeuvres (20 per cent) and velocity (20 per cent).

Kingsbury gave the Olympic people a thumbs-up, savouring its grade of difficulty. The people is 245 metres agelong pinch a 28-degree gradient.

“It’s nosy because it’s not that easy. It’s not excessively straightforward. When it’s excessively straightforward, it brings each the section together,” he explained. “I consciousness erstwhile it’s tricky, if you’re connected apical of your (game), you could create gaps connected different people.”

Added Viel: “The people is long, reliable and bully for a method skier for illustration me.”

Canada has 11 moguls medals to day astatine the Olympics (six golden and 5 silver).

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This study by BERITAJA was first published Feb. 10, 2026.

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"Kingsbury Breezes Through Olympic Qualifying - Beritaja"

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