Alta, Wyoming’s dynamic mogul skier Jaelin Kauf won an Olympic silver medal in Livigno, Italy, this morning, adding to her silver from the Beijing Olympics.
She became the second skier representing Teton County to medal at the Winter Games in Italy. Wyoming native and Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club alum Breezy Johnson won the gold medal in the downhill Sunday.
Kauf, the reigning world champion in the event, recovered from her first qualifying run, which was mediocre, to advance to the finals in the second qualifier. Until that second performance, Kauf had been “circling the drain,” NBC commentator Hannah Kearney said.
Into the finals, the 29-year-old faced two runs down an 800-foot course studded with moguls and two ramps constructed for jumps and aerial tricks. Twenty women entered the first final, which would see a dozen of them eliminated from the last run. That last run alone would determine the medal winners.
Kauf got into the final run with the second-best score — 80.13 points based on her time down the course, her technique in the bumps and the difficulty and execution of her two aerial moves. Australia’s Jakara Anthony earned more points in that penultimate run, scoring 83.96.
Family members, including Kauf’s mother, cheered her on, raising and waving large J’s, a symbol that has adorned the road to her hometown ski area — Grand Targhee Resort — on the west slope of the Tetons. A run at the ski area named “Jaelin’s Silver” honors her Beijing finish.
“Good athletes don’t make the same mistake twice.”
Hannah Kearney
The nail-biter lineup for the medal run put Anthony, the Beijing gold medal winner, as the last competitor. Kauf would go second to last in the field of eight.
It was Kauf’s U.S. teammate, however, who set the pace. Elizabeth Lemley, a skier from Vail, Colorado, scored 82.30 to sit in the top position with Japan’s Hinako Tomitaka, Kauf and Anthony to follow.
Tomitaka scored 78.00, putting her behind Lemley and France’s Perrine Laffont.
Kauf attacked the course doing “what she does best — ski fast,” Kearney said. Her method is “always aggressive skiing in the middle,” the commentator said.
St. Moritz, Switzerland. (Logan Swney/U.S. Ski Team)
Speed accounts for 20% of the score, the quality of turns accounts for 60% and aerials count for 20%.
Kauf, an 11-year veteran of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team, recouped whatever honor she lost in the first qualifying round. “Good athletes don’t make the same mistake twice,” Kearney said.
Kauf landed her first jump well, bobbed through the 35 or so moguls to the second aerial with a quiet upper body and landed the second aerial to zip across the finish. She scored 80.77, guaranteeing at least a bronze medal behind Lemley.
That left Anthony, the Australian, atop a course that could have delivered her a medal. She faltered.
Kearney called it an “uncharacteristic mistake.” It left Kauf in second place, earning her a second Olympic silver medal.
The American mogul skiers, including Tess Johnson and Olivia Giaccio, both of whom failed to make the final eight, celebrated with hugs.
“That’s an American party in the finish area,” Kearney said.
Kauf has another race upcoming. She’s expected to compete in the dual moguls event Saturday.
After winning her gold medal, downhiller Johnson posted the fastest time in the downhill portion of the combined downhill/slalom competition Tuesday. Her teammate Mikaela Shiffrin, however, fell short in the slalom and the pair finished fourth, just behind teammates Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan, who won bronze. Johnson is scheduled to ski 19th in the Super G Thursday morning.
Jackson’s Anna Gibson, the third woman representing Teton County in Italy and another Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club alum, will race in the inaugural team ski mountaineering event Feb. 21.
They are having a real hard time with everybody claiming these Olympians are from their state. Utah is claiming Kauf: https://www.ksl.com/article/51447125/former-utah-skier-jaelin-kauf-earns-silver-in-womens-moguls. Probably need to check drivers licenses to know where they are living now and what state gets credit for their medal.
From and old broken long ago retired mogul skier, Congratulations Jaelin!
It’s great to see Wyoming being represented well someplace because it sure isn’t in politics thanks to Barrasso, Lummis, Hageman, Gray, etc.
Great job Jaelin and Breezy! At least we have a couple of real Americans to be proud of.
Steve, you know what’s historically ruined the Olympic experience?
Injecting politics when The Sport/Competition is what matters.
“”You’ve got to lighten up dude or you won’t make it to your golden years.””
I debated leaving politics out of my comment Chad, but with so many Olympians stating their opinions in public on what’s wrong with this country I decided to add mine also.
These two young ladies, in my opinion, are great examples of what make this country great and our “leaders” should be ashamed of themselves for not being more like them.
This is the time to fight like hell and let your displeasure be known at this putrid, totally corrupt, administration and not kick back and pretend everything is already predetermined like you apparently do with some of your comments. I’m already retired and in my golden years Chad, and hoping to see the United States return to some form of normalcy for my kids and grandkids…and more importantly in this moment to say congratulations to Breezy and Jaelin for a job well done. You’ve represented your country the way it should be represented, with guts and honesty. Well done ladies, well done!
I hate to break this to you. At 40 nearly TRILLION in Debt, and reform of our Govt. impossible.
“Normalcy” returning isnt an option for our children and grand children.
Not a pessimist, I’m a realist.
Realism focuses on objective facts, accepting situations as they are without emotional filters.
This country is in a real mess. I’ll give you that much. Being realistic is one thing but being eternally pessimistic is another.
Another reader has called you consistently contrary and I’ll just leave it at that Chad.
You peddle pizzagate and qanon nonsense. Defending the Jan 6 cowardly insurrection as a “psyop” isn’t the sign of a “realist”.
Good job on derailing the comments on yet another story.