Since 2011, hardworker Mikaël Kingsbury had won all the singles events he had participated in in Ruka, Finland. His winning streak ended on Saturday when he took third place on the podium to open the 2023-2024 season.
On December 11, 2010, Kingsbury began his first full season on the circuit and won the silver medal on what would become one of his favorite tracks.
The inaugural stage still takes place in Ruka thirteen years later. With the exception of a ninth place in the parallel moguls in 2014, Mikaël Kingsbury had only collected gold there after his World Cup debut. The bronze medal received on Saturday was therefore greeted with a little bitterness at the curtain-raiser.
“It’s not the performance I wanted, but I’m trying to stay positive,” Kingsbury shared via videoconference.
“Of course, a yellow jersey is the best way to start the season, but I feel like I still have momentum. I’ve had good training and I know the best is yet to come. […] I am difficult to beat over a long season and it is not a race that will discourage me. »
Mikaël Kingsbury chose to adjust before heading into the grand final.
The judges awarded him 80.11 points in the small final, a mark below his expectations for the descent he had just delivered. He particularly expected better with regard to his two jumps.
“I jumped well, but I didn’t get paid well. At least, not as much as I deserved,” emphasized Kingsbury, who was planning to face a tougher panel at the start of the day.
“At the top of the track [in the grand final], we decided to jump bigger and push on the speed, which seemed more rewarded. »
A risk-taking that did not have the desired effect. Kingsbury’s final run followed that of the eventual winner, Japan’s Ikuma Horishima who amassed 82.68 points.
Kingsbury landed his first jump and had a slight imbalance halfway through. For a rare time in his career, the athlete from Deux-Montagnes did not raise his fist when crossing the finish line. He suspected very well that his performance was not going to be enough to take the lead.
“When I crossed the line, I knew it,” admitted the man who earned 79.08 points in the super final.
“I was disappointed in myself, I know my abilities, I know that I could hold this track by being faster and making fewer mistakes. […] I took a risk and the day it goes by, it will pay off! It’s a good learning experience. »
Absent from this stage last year, the Swede Walter Wallberg was the best in qualifying and the first final. He was last on the track at the end of the day and collected 79.88 points, good for the silver medal.
Julien Viel reached the first final after placing ninth in qualifying. He scored 74.20 and finished eighth.
Also in action, Gabriel Dufresne (69.95) missed the finals by 0.20 points and is in 18th place. Louis-David Chalifoux (68.49) and Elliot Vaillancourt (58.27) took 23rd and 40th places.
On the women’s side, Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert was unable to reach the finals on Saturday. Crowned Canadian champion in this event last March, the Quebecer accumulated 51.11 points and finished 24th.
Australian Jakara Anthony dominated the final with 84.18 points. Her closest pursuers were the Americans Elizabeth Lemley (79.68) and Olivia Giaccio (76.35).
The next workers’ meeting will take place next week in Idre Fjäll. Although his record at Ruka includes 10 gold medals, Mikaël Kingsbury has never triumphed in singles on this mountain in Sweden.
This will be the fourth year in a row that a Moguls World Cup will be presented at this resort. Injured in 2020, Kingsbury placed eighth the following year, then took silver last year. He still won gold in moguls at the same time during the last two campaigns.
His goal was to extend a streak at Ruka. Instead, he will try to stop one in Scandinavia, where the Canadian team recently trained.
Saturday’s third place mainly had the effect of motivating him more.
