Australia has emerged as the top nation in moguls skiing at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, securing two golds and a bronze. The success stems from elite coaching, strong team culture, and long-term investment in youth programs and facilities. Athletes like Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham highlight how this beach nation has defied expectations in the sport.
Australia's moguls skiers have led the nation's charge at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, amassing seven medals—four golds, two silvers, and a bronze—making it the country's most successful winter sport ahead of aerials. Cooper Woods claimed gold in the men's singles, with Matt Graham and Jackson Harvey reaching the top-eight super final. Jakara Anthony secured gold in the women's duals after missing her 2022 singles title defense, while Graham added a bronze in the men's duals for his second Olympic medal overall.
If treated as a standalone nation, Australia's moguls team would rank above China and Finland on the medal table. Matt Graham captured the surprise surrounding this achievement during a 2025 FIS World Cup win in Ruka, Finland, alongside Anthony: "We're not a skiing nation. We're a beach nation. So how the hell does this happen?"
Central to the success is the coaching led by Peter McNiel, a three-time Olympic gold medal-winning coach, and assistant Kate Blamey. Snow Australia president Daniel Bosco emphasized their dedication: "It's 100 per cent related to the coaching team... they spend 320 days of the year away from home, on the road with the athletes." Chef de mission Alisa Camplin-Warner praised the elite environment: "The way they operate is so elite... They've just built a culture of strength and support around one another."
Team camaraderie shines through, as seen when Graham hoisted Woods onto his shoulders after Woods's victory, and Woods supported Graham's run. Anthony described the bond: "Team culture is awesome in the moguls team... I spend more time with them than I do with anyone else and they become my family."
The program's foundations trace to 1999, when coach Steve Desovich joined via the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, inspired by Geoff Henke. Dale Begg-Smith's 2006 Torino gold and 2010 Vancouver silver influenced successors like Graham and Britt Cox, inspiring talents such as Anthony and Woods.
The inter-schools program, marking its 25th anniversary, has been pivotal, drawing 6,000 to 7,000 students annually and producing 33 of Australia's 54 Olympic athletes, including all five medallists. Facilities like the Geoff Henke Water Jump in Brisbane and the National Snowsport Training Centre in Jindabyne, supported by funding from Sport Minister Annika Wells, underpin the progress. Anthony noted: "Without that funding... we wouldn't be where we are today."
Bosco looks ahead ambitiously: "Let's imagine what's possible and get out there and do it."
