At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Australian freestyle skier Jakara Anthony faced an unexpected hurdle in the women’s moguls. As the reigning Olympic champion, Anthony arrived in Milan with high hopes and the weight of expectation, widely tipped to defend her gold. She set the tone early, dominating the qualifying run on February 10 and claiming first place with a commanding score of 81.65, securing her spot in the finals.
What Setback Did Moguls Champion Jakara Anthony Face In Milan?
Anthony also served as Australia’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Milan Games.
She would go on to compete in the finals on February 11, looking to dominate once again. Things did not go to plan for her, however, as she lost control, ran wide off the course, and struggled to finish, which dropped her significantly in the standings despite completing the run. She finished in last with a score of 60.81, with the USA’s Elizabeth Lemley taking gold.
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Anthony’s 2025-26 season sparkled with triumphs: she claimed victory at Perisher in Australia with 80.81 points, topped the qualifiers at Val St. Come in Canada with 79.83 after finals were cancelled, and conquered Waterville Valley in the USA in January 2026. These wins brought her 26th career World Cup gold, shattering Jacqui Cooper’s Australian record. Though Milan ended in heartbreak, her legacy remains untarnished.
Anthony On Her Success
Anthony first emerged on the international stage in the 2018/19 World Cup season, where she won her first World Cup medal and secured her first World Cup victory. She would go on to compete at the 2019 World Championships, where she earned silver in women’s moguls, establishing herself as one of the best in the world.
In a recent interview, Anthony spoke about how she came to be so successful in the sport, saying, “I’m definitely a perfectionist, definitely chasing that impossible. But I think that’s part of the reason why I’ve been able to be so successful, is that I always want more out of myself.”
“And my coach Pete is pretty similar. We’re really striving for mastery in the sport to get as good as we can with all the different skills. It keeps me really motivated because we’ve got goals outside the actual competition. If we’re going out there and chasing mastery and achieving that, then the results just flow as a result.” she added.
Anthony trains under the guidance of Peter McNiel and Kate Blamey. Her partnership with McNiel, which began when she was just 16, proved pivotal in her journey to Olympic gold in 2022.
