Quebec’s Julien Viel clinched his inaugural World Cup championship on Saturday by triumphing in the men’s dual moguls event at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup held on his home turf. Despite finishing approximately 1.5 seconds behind his Japanese rival Ikuma Horishima, Viel claimed victory with a score of 20-15, displaying skill and composure during his run. Sweden’s Filip Gravenfors secured the third spot, surpassing Finland’s Olli Penttala.
Viel admitted to playing it safe during the competition, emphasizing the risky nature of the event and his focus on avoiding injuries. His strategic approach paid off, with Viel expressing his contentment with the balance of his performance. The supportive crowd at Val St-Côme, Quebec, cheered loudly for Viel throughout the event, reaching a crescendo when his winning score was announced.
The Canadian athlete acknowledged the crowd’s impact, noting the motivation he drew from their energy at the top of the slope. Viel extended his gratitude to the fans for their enthusiastic support of Team Canada. Notably, both the men’s moguls and men’s dual moguls titles were claimed by Canadians, with Mikaël Kingsbury securing his 100th World Cup victory in moguls the day before. Charles Beaulieu also represented Canada well by finishing in eighth place in the men’s dual moguls event.
In the women’s division, the United States dominated the top four positions, with Jaelin Kauf emerging victorious with a score of 23, followed by silver medallist Elizabeth Lemley. Tess Johnson completed the U.S. podium sweep ahead of Olivia Giaccio. For Canada, Maïa Schwinghamme and Jessica Linton achieved seventh and eighth place finishes, respectively.