Australia’s moguls skiers find themselves leading the World Cup rankings no doubt attesting to the Australian force in freestyle skiing against the backdrop of the upcoming Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
A strong showing in the first rounds of the World Cup for Australian athletes has put them at or near the top of the men’s and women’s moguls respective rankings, a sport which has emerged as one of Australia’s strongest chances of claiming an Olympic medal.
These results have cemented Australia reputation as a major force at an international level in moguls despite it having a short winter with limited athletes.
The World Cup tour, which stretches from North America to Europe to Asia is generally regarded as the best indicator of Olympic preparation.
Competition takes place over several events with consistency and representation frequently being every bit as valuable as overall success.
Australia’s capacity to get its skiers on the podium and into the final stages of competition each week is every bit as valuable as overall victories.
This increase comes at a critical stage of the Olympiad cycle. With only a year left before the start of competition in Italy the national teams are honing in on their strategies for qualification and development.
As for Australia, moguls are a sport where medal success is a possibility or rather a probability based on years of development in coaching and sports technology.
Moguls skiing requires a combination of speed, accuracy and aerials skill which is measured by turns, jumps and cumulative time.
A small margin of error makes it hard for the skiers to be successful in the World Cup circuit. Australian skiers possess the element of adapting to the courses and snow type.
This element is crucial since the course in Italy may present different conditions.
The present positions in the competition reflect some overall changes occurring in the overall winter sport calendar offered by Australia.
Recent years have seen a focus on targeted investment in sport, as well as international training opportunities by national sporting bodies, acknowledging that international competition is a vital factor for athletes who spend considerably less than twelve months per year in their domestic environments.
From a policy and funding viewpoint, successful World Cup results could not have come at a better time.
The Olympics have historically been a shaping force for government and corporate support for winter sporting codes, who have to compete for a share of the pie with other, more established summer sports.
Successful sporting performance at the top levels will help make a case for continued support for high performance programs, especially with Australia looking to maximize their medal haul with a small pool of athletes.
However, the momentum in moguls also has ripple effects in the wider world of sports.
This visibility at the world stage may lead to more involvement at other levels since young sports personalities may choose winter sports that were previously considered out of their league.
In particular, success may lead to more interest in winter sports tourism among communities associated with the Australian Alps.
However, the Olympic stand is the true measure of success the Australia hockey leadership has been measured in their expectations.
Winning the World Cup is no guarantee of an Olympic medal because the sport is very ruthless in terms of margins of victory and defeat.
Still, the current position is evidence that Australia is starting the final Olympic preparation phase on the backs of strength.
While the World Cup season presses on, the spotlight will remain on consistency as opposed to celebrations.
For the moguls skiers in the Australian contingent, the position they hold at the top is a far less important concern than getting to Italy with the kind of momentum that allows them to believe they have a shot at the best in the world.
