THE CANADIAN PRESS
TAZAWAKO, Japan – Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury has been dominant all season long on the World Cup freestyle skiing circuit, and now he has the records to prove it.
Kingsbury, from Deux-Montagnes, QC, won a record seventh straight World Cup moguls title Sunday, defeating teammate Philippe Marquis of Quebec City 19-16 in the final.
With the victory, Kingsbury broke the record of six straight World Cup wins he previously held with American Jeremy Bloom.
“It’s really such an incredible moment and feeling,” Kingsbury said. “I’m so proud of what I accomplished. It definitely wasn’t easy doing this here. All my duals were difficult. I tried not to focus on the record today.
“I knew Phil was really going to challenge me and that it would be one of my fastest matchups. It really turned into a day I will never forget.”
The dual moguls win in Tazawako was also the 28th World Cup victory of Kingsbury’s career, tying him with Frenchman Edgar Grospiron on the all-time list. Kingsbury, 22, reached the milestone in 60 World Cups compared to Grospiron who won number 28 on his 78th start.
Kingsbury also won the Tazawako single mogul event Saturday and in the process clinched the Crystal Globe, awarded to the FIS moguls points leader. With Sunday’s win he solidified his chance at winning the FIS overall points title. Kingsbury has 91.13 overall points, with China’s Qi Guangpu second with 73.33 points in aerials.
“To have seven straight victories and to break the record while competing in dual moguls is a great feeling,” Kingsbury said. “To equal Grospiron’s record of 28 wins while winning here is amazing. It’s one of the best victories of my career.
“When there’s all this pressure on me I really remind myself to have fun and why I started doing this. I told myself that before each race today. I gave it my all. It was very emotional for me when it was all done.”
Marquis said he gave Kingsbury a good run in the final, adding his teammate was full value for his record-setting victory.
“My hat’s off to Mik because everyone was gunning for him this weekend and he was still able to pull off history,” Marquis said. “I really gave it my all against him because I think that’s what he’d want. What he did today is amazing.”
Simon Pouliot-Cavanagh of Quebec City was narrowly beat 18-17 for third place by Australian Matt Graham, preventing a Canadian podium sweep.
Marc-Antoine Gagnon of Terrebonne, QC finished fifth.
In women’s competition, American Hannah Kearney finished third in Sunday’s freestyle World Cup dual moguls event to clinch her sixth overall moguls title.
Kearney beat Alex-Anne Gagnon of Terrebonne in the small final to earn 60 points, giving her an insurmountable 145-point lead in the standings over Montreal native Justine Dufour-Lapointe with just one event left.
It was the fifth straight moguls title for the Vancouver Olympic gold medallist who is retiring at the end of this season. She also won the moguls title in 2009.
Morgan Schild of the United States beat Satsuki Ito of Japan in the final to claim her first title.
Gagnon finished a career-best fourth.
