The aerials team will arrive in Beijing with high aspirations to continue Australia’s rich history of freestyle skiing success. Peel and Scott currently sit third and fourth in the World Cup rankings, with Peel landing one of the highest scoring jumps in the women’s aerials history to win the Deer Valley World Cup earlier this month.
Chef de Mission for Australia Olympic Team for Beijing, Geoff Lipshut said he was thrilled to announce a very strong aerials team for 2022.
“The multiple World Cup podiums and personal bests throughout the season in both moguls and aerials is testament to the athletes, coaches, support staff, Snow Australia, NSWIS and the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) who have developed such impressive programs.” Mr Lipshut said.
Aerial skiing also known as freestyle skiing is a relatively new event to grace the Winter Olympics as it was officially recognised in 1992 after being showcased a demonstration event during the 1988 Winter Olympics.
In Australia, selected gymnasts became part of a ‘talent transfer program’ into aerial skiing for the first time in 1999. The program was spearheaded by the current Chef de Mission, Geoff Lipshut and Victorian Institute of Sport’s Aerial Skiing Program Manager, Rachel Hunt.
Since then, and for more than 20 years, the Victorian Institute of Sport’s Aerial Skiing Program has had a strong history of producing Olympic medals and Olympic, World and World Cup champions, including; Lydia Lassila (five-time Olympian, gold and bronze Olympic medallist), Alisa Camplin-Warner (Australia’s first freestyle skiing medallist, bronze Olympic medallist), Jacqui Cooper (five world titles, 39-time World Cup medallist and five-time Olympian) and David Morris (first Australian male to win an Olympic aerial medal).
With access to a new year-round, world-class training facility at the Sleeman Sports Complex in Brisbane, the Aerial Skiing Program is run in partnership with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, and Snow Australia.
Victorian Institute of Sport CEO, Anne Marie Harrison congratulates the athletes who have been selected for Beijing and insists the VIS is honoured to be supporting such impressive athletes.
“We are privileged to support Australia’s aerial skiers, who are among some of the nation’s most successful athletes. The Victorian Institute of Sport’s Aerial Skiing Program is in a strong position, as we head towards the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.” Harrison said.
The women’s aerials competition will run from 13-14 February, in Genting Snow Park.
About Aerial Skiing
Aerial skiing is a winter sport that involves athletes skiing downhill to a ramp and propelling 10 to 20 metres into the air to perform twisting somersaults and flips. Competitors are judged on their runs and are awarded a score based on three factors: jump take-off, jump form and landing.
Aerial skiing is half ‘skiing’ and half ‘aerial’ and has a strong focus on acrobatics training. The trampoline is one of the tools that allows athletes to build their aerial awareness, practice their skills and develop the drills and techniques that help them on the snow.
Learn more about the Australian Olympic Team going to Beijing HERE | Credit: Australian Olympic Team
Image Credit: GettyImages / Robert Cianflone
