It was an historic day for Australian snowsports in Beijing on Sunday with mogul skier Jakara Anthony capturing Australia’s first gold medal in women’s moguls on top of Tess Coady claiming a bronze medal earlier in the day in snowboard slopestyle.
NOT since Lydia Lasslia and Torah Bright won gold medals in Vancouver 2010 have Australia claimed a gold medal, and the joyous scenes at the Genting Snow Park with teammates, coaches and staff celebrating with Jakara was just the tonic Australia needed early in its Beijing campaign.
Jakara Anthony was simply awesome, she had the highest score of each of all her four runs, and with the gold medal on the line and competing as the final skier, she did not falter. Here run was superb and her turns which account for most of the score, near faultless.
As the screen flashed up number one Australia celebrated with her in unison, and it will truly be one of the historic Olympic moments we relive many times over.
“It’s been a dream of mine my whole life and to actually achieve it, it’s incredible,” was how Jakara Anthony described her win.
Anthony will now join elite company as one of only six Winter Olympic gold medallists for Australia.
Steven Bradbury and Alisa Camplin won gold in Salt Lake City 2002, Dale Begg-Smith gold in Torino “2006, Torah Bright and Lydia Lassila in Vancouver 2010 and now Jakara Anthony.
“It’s really incredible to know that all the hard work I have been putting into my skiing career is really paying off, I am just lost for words,” said Anthony.
“A real testament to the work myself and the team I’ve got around me to put in the last four years building some really solid processes to follow and that really hasn’t been easy. But I think I am a much better athlete and also much better person because of it and I think that’s the best thing that came out of this.”
When asked about the lonesome chairlift ride to the top before her final run, she admitted her mind was wandering between what outcome could eventuate and what still needed to be done.
It was this focus that enabled her to block everything out and follow that process. It may be cliché from many athletes, but that is what training for the past years came down to. One solid run to claim gold.
“I actually at the top try to pay zero attention to what’s going on, every run I had no idea what scores had dropped, I still don’t know what my score was, I am just really just trying to stay focused on what I need to do and stay in the moment.”
And what a moment it turned out to be.
The medal ceremony will be this evening where Australia will once again rejoice in her success as the gold medal is draped around her neck.
