Aussie Danielle Scott ends World Cup drought just before Winter Olympics
After almost three years without gold, Australian Danielle Scott wins the aerials at the World Cup event in Lake Placid less than a month before the Olympics in Italy.
2 hours agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 12:28am
Scott's choice of a back double full-full was safer and proved wise. (Getty Images: Al Bello)
In short:
Australian Danielle Scott has won her first World Cup aerials event in almost three years, less than a month before the Winter Olympics.
Scott won gold at Lake Placid in the US with a safer back double full-full, while her opponents attempted triples but could not stick the landings.
What's next?
The Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina start on February 6.
Australian aerial skier Danielle Scott has broken through for her first World Cup triumph in nearly three years in a timely boost to her medal hopes at next month's Winter Olympics.
The 35-year-old three-time Olympian has had a particularly lean run this season but put her woes behind her with a morale-boosting triumph at Lake Placid in the United States less than a month before the start of the Games in Italy.
Scott scored 95.88 points in the super final to take top spot ahead of China's reigning Olympic champion Xu Mengtai, who scored 94.01.
America's 2025 world champion, Kaila Kuhn, was third with 92.29.
Laura Peel, who won the last World Cup event in Canada, was unable to stick her landing and finished sixth, while fellow Australian Airleigh Frigo was seventh.
"I'm just letting this sink in. I've had a rough run this season," said Scott, with the victory her first in a World Cup event since March 2023 and the seventh of her career.
"A lot of highs and lows … today I just needed to go prove myself, and I did that, so I'm stoked."
Danielle Scott won her first World Cup event since March 2023. (Getty Images: Al Bello)
With four out of six skiers in the medal round attempting triples, Scott's choice of a back double full-full proved a smart decision after assessing the tricky conditions of the day.
"I was hoping to do triples, and we made some hard decisions and decided to keep it on the double. I think it paid off," she said.
"I want to do them, so let's get Mother Nature on our side."
In the men's competition, China's Wang Xindi opted to go with five twists.
Despite the conditions, he was rewarded with a win.
With landings proving to be challenging for many athletes, his back double full-full-double full earned a 103.50 and his first World Cup win of the season.