American skier Jaelin Kauf claimed victory in the World Cup dual moguls event in Japan last weekend, her second win of the season following two silver medals at the Winter Olympics. The Alta resident defeated teammate Olivia Giaccio in the final, strengthening her position in the Crystal Globe race. With one event remaining, Kauf leads the duals standings.
Jaelin Kauf, who won two silver medals at the Winter Olympics last month, secured her second World Cup dual moguls victory of the season in Japan. This marks her first duals win since the Olympics, building on her earlier triumph in Val St. Come, Canada. The Japan event occurred in the same country where Kauf earned her first World Cup victory on February 18, 2017.
In the competition, Kauf placed 10th in the singles round of 16 on Saturday, despite recording the second-fastest run of the day behind Australia's Jakara Anthony. Singles events judge skiers against the field on a scale up to 100 points, while duals allocate 35 points between head-to-head competitors, emphasizing turns, airs, and speed.
On Sunday, Kauf advanced through the duals bracket. She defeated Sweden's Moa Gustafson 28-7 in the round of 16, Canada's Maia Schwinghammer 21-14 in the quarterfinals, and U.S. teammate Tess Johnson 20-15 in the semifinals. In the final, she beat Giaccio 20-15. Johnson took third place by defeating France's Perrine Laffont, resulting in an American podium sweep for the second consecutive duals event this season.
Giaccio won the singles competition, her first victory of the season. The U.S. team has dominated both duals events, with Kauf recognized as the fastest moguls skier globally, though speed weighs more in duals than singles.
Only one World Cup stop remains after a scheduled event in Almaty, Kazakhstan, was canceled in January due to organizational reasons. The season concludes in two weeks at Shahdag, Azerbaijan. In duals standings, Kauf holds 200 points, ahead of Giaccio's 130. A top-eight finish earning at least 30 points would clinch Kauf's second straight duals Crystal Globe. In overall moguls standings, including singles and duals, Giaccio leads with 490 points, while Kauf sits fourth with 362. Last winter, Kauf swept the singles, duals, and overall Crystal Globes.
