Vail’s Liz Lemley lands on podium in World Cup moguls opener in Ruka, Finland
Nisse Schmidt/AP photo
In just her 18th-career World Cup start, Vail’s Liz Lemley earned her fourth podium on Saturday. The Ski and Snowboard Club Vail alumna placed second in the World Cup moguls season opener in Ruka, Finland, dropping a score of 79.68. Defending Olympic gold medalist Anthony Jakara (84.18) of Australia took the win and Olivia Giaccio (76.35) placed third for the U.S., which had six athletes in the top 10.
Hannah Soar and Jaelin Kauf finished in fourth and fifth and fellow SSCV alumna Tess Johnson — who was making her return to competition just seven months after spine surgery — qualified fifth into finals and finished in eighth. Alli Macuga was 10th.
“I’m so stoked on today! It was everything I could have hoped for with qualifying in fifth and competing finals with a bottom air cork. It makes me hungry for more, but I’m taking the day to celebrate how far I’ve come since back surgery in April,” Johnson told U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s Ryan Odeja.
“Also I’m so very proud of my teammates for skiing so well and inspiring me every day. It’s an honor to be a part of this team.”
Fellow SSCV alumna Kai Owens placed 19th in her first competition since the FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Chiesa in Valmalenco, Italy on March 25, 2022. Owens re-injured the shoulder she hurt during the Beijing Olympics and also injured her knee in the junior worlds singles event.
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Former SSCV skier Dylan Walczyk was the top American in the men’s mogul event on Saturday. The 30-year-old, whose best finish in 2023 was a place in Chiesa in Valmalenco last February, came in 13th in Ruka. Ikuma Horishima won, with Walter Wallberg and Mikael Kingsbury rounding out the podium.
The World Cup travels to Idre Fjall, Sweden, for individual moguls on Dec. 8 and the first dual moguls event of the year on Dec. 9. Lemley claimed her first World Cup win in the dual moguls event at Idre Fjall last season.
