Winter Olympics 2022: Aussies Laura Peel and Danielle Scott fail in hunt for aerials medal
Australia’s aerial skiers were left devastated after failing to land medals - but the only thing more brutal was their ruthless self-assessments after crashing out.
Winter Olympics
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No medals. And no excuses.
The only thing more brutal and unforgiving than aerial skiing is the way Australia’s competitors have judged themselves after things went horribly wrong at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Australia’s Laura Peel and Danielle Scott were both heartbroken after they crashed out of medal contention but that didn’t them from tearing themselves apart.
“Yeah, I’m pretty disappointed,” said Peel.
“I know I can jump a lot better than I did tonight, so I wish I would have done that.
“I don’t have any excuses. It was a big jump, I needed to stretch a little bit earlier.
“I waited until the last flip and that was a little bit too late and unfortunately couldn’t put it to my feet.”
Peel, who carried the Australian flag at the Opening Ceremony, went into the competition as one of the favourites to claim the gold medal.
Normally a clutch performer, she won last year’s world championship and pulled off a triple somersault in the lead-up to Beijing that was one of the highest scoring jumps in history.
She tried that same complicated trick in Monday’s super final but failed to nail the landing, earning 78.56 points. Under the harsh Olympic format for aerials, there are no second chances so she finished fifth.
“That jump is well within my range. I know I can do it really nicely.” she said.
“At the last event, I scored 118 points on it, so I can do it a lot better than I did it.”
To make matters worse, China’s Xu Mengtao landed the same jump - but not perfectly - a few minutes later to win the gold with a score of 108.61.
“She is an incredible athlete. She’s been at this a long time and at the top of the sport for a long time, so I really respect her. I’m happy for her,’ Peel said.
“I think she’s been eyeing off that Olympic gold for a long time. But of course I wish I could have put it down.
“It was far from my best. I know I can do a lot better than that.
“I had everything I needed to perform today, and unfortunately, I just wasn’t able to.”
Scott was just as scathing of her own performance after she crash landed in the first round of finals and missed the final six just as the wind picked up and the temperature dropped to -22 in the mountains of Zhangjiakou.
A silver medallist at the 2017 world championships, Scott refused to blame her performance on anyone but herself.
“It’s pretty gut-wrenching. I didn’t put down the jump that I’d like to and I didn’t reach my potential, I know that for sure,” she said.
“I’ve done some nice jumps throughout the season and it stings to not make it through another round.
“The conditions are a little tricky. I feel our team, the coaching staff, have done a fantastic job, but maybe the pressure just got to me.
“It’s a third Olympics, and you’d think I’d be used to it by now but I guess not. I really wasn’t quite myself. I wanted to do a better job out there.”
‘SORRY I LET YOU DOWN’: AUSSIE’S HEARTBREAKING APOLOGY
Triple Olympian Danielle Scott has delivered a heartbreaking apology after failing to make the women’s aerial final.
It was a horror event for the Aussies, medal fancy Laura Peel sneaking into the super final, before falling on her sudden-death triple-twisting jump and finishing fifth with a score of 78.56.
Ranked fourth in the world, Scott was unable to stick either of her jumps in the first final and was apologetic as she awaited her score.
SCROLL DOWN TO RE-CAP THE EVENT
But the 31-year-old’s post-event chat on the host broadcaster was heartbreaking.
“Thanks Australia, sorry I let you down, it hurts,” Scott said.
“It’s brutal out there.
“Through the pandemic, it’s been really tough and it’s been a struggle and it hasn’t been the usual. So I’m proud to be here. I’m proud to represent my country for the third Olympics and, yeah, just got to be proud with that.”
WATCH THE HEARTBREAKING INTERVIEW BELOW
"I tried to give it my everything."
— 7Olympics (@7olympics) February 14, 2022
Danielle, you gave it your all tonight and that's all we could ever ask for â¤ï¸#Beijing2022 | #7Olympicspic.twitter.com/RNJxKUn73C
Peel’s high-degree-of-difficulty back triple full got her through to the final after she dragged her hands on the landing. Her 100.02 was enough to put her fourth in the first final — six go through.
But, in the final, it appeared she was impacted by a tailwind that made it impossible to stick her landing.
“I’m just disappointed. I can jump a lot better than I did tonight,” she said.
Peel, 32, took solace in the improvement in the sport after Belarus’ Hanna Huskova, the reigning Olympic champion churned out a brilliant 107.95, only to be eclipsed by Chinese sensation Mengtao Xu, who won gold with 108.61.
“I was happy to see some big jumps on the podium,” Peel said.
“I’m happy to see the way the women’s sport is progressing.
“The podium was a lot more difficult than the last Olympics, so I think we’re moving in the right direction and I’m proud to have been a part of that.”
THE FINISHING ORDER:
Mengtao Xu (China): 108.61
Hanna Huskova (Belarus): 107.95
Megan Nick (USA): 93.76
Ashley Caldwell (USA): 83.71
Laura Peel (Aus): 78.56
Fanyu Kong (China): 59.67
HOW THE AERIALS FINALS PANNED OUT
11.13pm: China wins gold with Mengtao Xu pulling off a 108.61 with a back-full-full-full. She was the provisional gold medallist and it was made official when No.21 qualifier Ashley Caldwell hit the deck on her jump. Disappointment for the Australians, with neither Laura Peel, nor Danielle Scott able to medal, but a stunning effort from Xu, who is going off in celebration!
THE FINISHING ORDER:
Mengtao Xu (China): 108.61
Hanna Huskova (Belarus): 107.95
Megan Nick (USA): 93.76
Ashley Caldwell (USA): 83.71
Laura Peel (Aus): 78.56
Fanyu Kong (China): 59.67
11.05pm: Third jumper: Laura Peel: The Aussie has tumbled — her jump was huge, but Olympian Jacqui Cooper says the wind played a big factor in Peel’s inability to stick the jump. The medal dream is over for Australia.
11.03pm: Second jumper: American Megan Nick 93.76 from the No.25 in the world. Peel next
11.01pm: First jumper: Two twists, three back somersaults and the reigning Olympic champion, Belarusian Hanna Huskova has stuck a special one, reeling off a 107.95. Massive chance here, that was special.
10.58pm: Aussie Laura Peel will jump third in the super final. American Ashley Caldwell goes last after being best in the earlier duels.
10.52pm: Oh, lordy. The landing wasn’t pretty., but Peel has just stuck it and she’s done enough with 100.02 and she’s in fourth. She can’t miss the super final. How nervy! Aussie great Lydia Lassila was surprised Peel didn’t receive a bigger deduction after she dragged her hands on the landing. Massive medal chance now. Six jumpers, one chance each for glory.
10.46pm: Oh no. Scott can’t pull off her jump. She twists too fast, too early and loses her bearings, lands on her back. Her hands are on her head. She’s worked so hard for this, coming back from knee surgery. But her Olympic dream has been shattered with a 64.79. You feel for her. She says “sorry everyone” but there's nothing to apologise for — she gave it a red-hot crack. There are is only one more jump before Aussie Laura Peel — American Ashley Caldwell, who is No.1 and can’t miss the super final, as Xu Mengtao, who chose not to take her second jump as she cannot lose her spot in the final.
10.40pm: A frightening moment for Kazakhstan’s Akmarzhan Kalmurzayeva. She “caught an edge, as Olympic legend Jacqui Cooper explains, and, at speed, that is a terrifying situation to deal with. She managed to avoid the jumps and pulled up just past them. “Oh my gosh, my heart just went into my mouth,” Cooper said. For any skier, that is just something you would never want to see. It’s catching an edge. These edges on the skis, they’re very, very sharp. So if she had maybe a little bit of pressure on the outside of her edge, it will track in that direction. She catches an inside edge and it sends her shooting off to the side.” Scott jumps now! Go girl!
10.27pm: Second and last jumps are starting now. American Ashley Caldwell is in first 103.92, with Chinese pair Mengtao Xu, 103.89, and Kong Fanyu, 102.71, right behind her. Aussies Danielle Scott and Laura Peel are eighth and ninth, respectively. Scott is slated to do the back full tuck full with a degree of difficulty of 3.975 and Peel the back triple full with a difficulty of 4.293.
10.21pm: Laura Peel has followed Danielle Scott in landing on her back after her first jump. Both Aussies have work to do to make it through to the super final. She scored 69.16 and is in ninth — one behind Scott in eighth. The top six go through. Olympic aerials legend Jacqui Cooper said the Aussie girls need to learn a lesson — and quickly: “Too high, too much and too far down. It was going to be almost impossible for her to land that. The same error as Danielle Scott. They’re landing further down the landing hill than they were earlier today. They need to make those adjustments and they need to do that now.” One more jump each. No holding back here.
10.13pm: “It’s tricky out here” — Danielle Scott was unable to stick her landing and hit her back heavily on her first jump. She’s OK, but her 71.23 won’t be enough. One more jump to get into the super final. Aussie aerials legend Jacqui Cooper said she felt for Scott, who struggled to deal with the tailwind, pushing her further down the landing hill than she wanted to be. “That was a huge jump. Not much more she could have done technically to save the landing. Beautiful take off. Nice lay in. Came in for the tuck. Look at the big stretched full out, which is the somersault.”
Aussies Peel, Scott eye aerials medals
Australia has two medal chances in the aerials in Beijing tonight.
Our nation’s flag-bearer Laura Peel and Danielle Scott will contest the final.
Peel, earlier Monday, stamped her authority on the competition with a superb triple twisting jump to qualify number one and go straight into tonight’s final.
Peel, from Canberra, said at the bottom of the hill: “I am feeling good”, after electing a more difficult triple twisting jump than what she had originally intended.
Peel, 32, wanted to make sure the degree of difficulty of the jump would get her straight into the final rather than having to jump again, after officials condensed the two day competition to one day because of a blizzard yesterday.
Her tactics paid off and sent a signal to her chief rivals, American Ashley Caldwell and China’s Xu Mengtao, both of whom also scored highly above 100 points.
“I was very happy with that jump,’’ said Peel, who scored 104.54 points
“I will get a bit of a longer rest with that, it’s going to be a long day.’’
Scott, of the Northern Beches of Sydney, also qualified automatically for the final, executing a beautiful double jump that scored a high 96.23 points to be placed fourth. The top six competitors automatically made the final, while the rest of the field has to compete in another round to establish the next six finalists. Australia’s third competitor Gabi Ash was, 17th in her jump, and she will jump again.
Russian doper cleared to compete
Russian teenage figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva was on Monday cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to continue competing in the Beijing Olympics despite failing a doping test.
CAS said it had rejected appeals by the International Olympic Committee, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Skating Union to have the suspension of the 15-year-old reinstated.
The prodigious Valieva is now able to take part in the singles event that begins on Tuesday, just a day after the top sports court released its decision.
She will be favourite to win that competition.
The US Olympic Committee said it was “disappointed” by the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to allow Valieva to compete again at the Beijing Olympics.
“We are disappointed by the message this decision sends,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said, adding:
“This appears to be another chapter in the systemic and pervasive disregard for clean sport by Russia.”
CAS cited “exceptional circumstances” for its decision, including her status as a “protected person” — in other words, a minor.
Matthieu Reeb, CAS director general, said in a news conference that a suspension would have caused “serious damage”.
Russia’s Olympic Committee welcomed the announcement that figure skater Kamila Valieva has been cleared to continue competing in the Beijing Olympics despite failing a doping test.
“Tomorrow the whole country will support her and all our wonderful female skaters in the individuals competition,” the committee said on Telegram, calling it the “best news of the day”.
Valieva tested positive during the Russian championships on December 25 for the banned substance trimetazidine.
It is used to treat angina and vertigo but is on WADA’s prohibited list because it can increase blood flow efficiency and help endurance.
But it took six weeks for the result of the test to be processed by a WADA-accredited laboratory in Stockholm.
It has been branded a “dark day” in sport.
CAS decision: Kamila Valieva is allowed to compete. What a dark day this is for the fight against doping in sports.
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) February 14, 2022
The CAS Panel: "emphasized that there were serious issues of untimely notification of the results of the Athlete’s anti-doping test that was performed in December 2021 which impinged upon the Athlete’s ability to establish certain legal requirements for her benefit."
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) February 14, 2022
The Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) was notified of the positive test result on February 8 and suspended Valieva, but she successfully appealed and the ban was lifted.
The day before, she had helped Russia win team gold, producing a dazzling performance as she became the first woman to land a quadruple jump in Olympic competition.
The medals ceremony for that competition was cancelled while the Valieva case raged in the background.
Speaking before CAS released its decision, the IOC said Monday the medals for the team competition would “probably not” be awarded during these Games — and that the court’s decision would only mean Valieva had the green light to continue competing, it did not mean she was cleared of doping.
The issue of the team competition “will not be probably sorted out during these Games and it’s something that’s regrettable but we have to follow the process of CAS and the legal process”, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.
“It’s a dilemma we are all in and it’s something we’re not happy with. “All the other issues will have to be discussed further into the Games and that will include the presentation of the medals to the teams.”
The case has raised a string of questions, not least why it took six weeks for the test to be processed.
RUSADA has said it was informed that the sharp rise in Covid-19 cases at the start of the year was the reason for the delay.
The other burning question in the case is the welfare of the girl at the midst of the latest Russian doping scandal to rock recent Olympics.
The IOC has urged WADA to investigate Valieva’s entourage, which includes highly successful coach Eteri Tutberidze.
CAS’s decision will be intensely scrutinised as Russia is already under sanctions for a massive state-sponsored doping program that reached its peak at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
As a result, Russians are competing in Beijing under the flag of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).
The Russian flag cannot be displayed at the Games or on the team’s clothing and the national anthem cannot be played.
—AFP
6:43PM: AUSSIE LEADS AERIALS
— Jacquelin Magnay
Australia’s flag-bearer Laura Peel has stamped her authority on the Beijing Olympic aerials with a superb triple twisting jump to qualify number one and go straight into tonight’s final.
Peel from Canberra said at the bottom of the hill: ”I am feeling good”, after electing a more difficult triple twisting jump than what she had originally intended.
Peel, 32, wanted to make sure the degree of difficulty of the jump would get her straight into the final rather than having to jump again, after officials condensed the two day competition to one day because of a blizzard yesterday.
Her tactics paid off and sent a signal to her chief rivals, American Ashley Caldwell and China’s Xu Mengtao, both of whom also scored highly above 100 points.
“I was very happy with that jump,’’ said Peel, who scored 104.54 points
“I will get a bit of a longer rest with that, it’s going to be a long day.’’
Danielle Scott, of the Northern Beches of Sydney, also qualified automatically for the final, executing a beautiful double jump that scored a high 96.23 points to be placed fourth. The top six competitors automatically made the final, while the rest of the field has to compete in another round to establish the next six finalists. Australia’s third competitor Gabi Ash was, 17th in her jump, and she will jump again.
Aussie reveals extent of spine damage after awkward fall
Recovering in hospital, snowboarder Belle Brockhoff has spoken of her disappointment after crashing awkwardly during her cross teams event in Beijing.
Still a little sore and shaken up, Brockhoff has been cleared of any serious injury.
Australian officials confirmed that the MRI and CT scan were both clear.
Brockhoff was taken to a Chinese hospital with a sore neck after crashing awkwardly during the snowboard cross teams event at the Beijing Olympics.
Australian officials said Brockhoff, 29, was taken from the course on a stretcher after she fell three quarters of the way down the run when she struck the heat leader.
“Been offline to rest the head — I had a crash in the mixed teams event where I hit my head and had pain down my neck,” Brockhoff tweeted.
“Until the next race, I will be resting up and cheering on the rest of the Aussies.”
Hello everyone 😊â¤ï¸x @AUSOlympicTeampic.twitter.com/38oym4o4Iw
— Belle Brockhoff (@bellebrockhoff) February 14, 2022
3.32PM: SECOND MEDAL SHOT FOR SNOWBOARDER
— Julian Linden
Tess Coady survived the Valentine Day’s carnage at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Monday to give herself a shot at winning a historic second medal for Australia.
With competitors everywhere coming to grief – and one of Coady’s own teammates courageously competing with a broken leg – she played it smart and made it through to her second final in the Chinese capital.
The Victorian snowboarder already won Australia’s first medal of the Olympics when she took bronze in slopestyle last Sunday and now has a shot at a second medal after qualifying for Tuesday’s Big Air final.
No Australian has ever won two medals at a single Winter Olympics and while Coady is rated an outside chance of returning to the podium, she’s already proven she can deliver on the big stage when it matters.
With only the top 12 going through, she qualified eighth in Big Air – but that’s the same position she was in after the heats for the slopestyle so she can’t be ruled out.
“I just wanted to get a couple of good runs and get through to the finals – I played it safe and just wanted to qualify,” she said.
“That was great. It felt like finals.”
As in the slopestyle, Coady’s biggest threat is Sydney-born Kiwi sensation Zoi Sadowski Synnott, who easily topped the qualifiers.
But there were some big names who missed out.
Jamie Anderson, the silver medallist four years ago, could only manage 15th after falling on two of her runs while her American teammate Julia Marino, who won silver in slopestyle, withdrew after crashing and injuring herself in practice.
Another American, Caroline Clair, was taken away by ambulance after crashing at the qualifying for freeski slopestyle in the Zhangjiakou mountains, where Aussie teenager Abu Harrigan made a stunning Olympic debut.
The 19-year-old from Jindabyne fractured her leg less than a month ago and needed a special plate and medication just to compete in qualifying after withdrawing from the freeski Big Air earlier in the week.
Despite wincing in pain, Harrigan managed to safely complete both of her qualifying runs to officially become an Olympian though she was unable to perform her best tricks so did not advance to the final.
“I definitely would have liked to have performed a bit better but the injury was holding me back so I was just happy to be out here and have some fun,” she said.
“I’m on a fair few painkillers – the medical team has been amazing, doing everything they can to get me out here.
“My Olympic experience has been an interesting one but I’m stoked to be here.”
Australia’s Matt Cox finished 28th in the men’s Big Air so did not qualify for Tuesday’s final.
Apart from Coady, the only other Australians in action on Tuesday are alpine skier Greta Small, who is competing in the downhill, and figure skater Kailani Craine, who will be doing her short program.
3.20PM: AUSSIE JUST SHY OF MEDALS IN MONOBOB
Four years after she was told to stay at home because she wasn’t good enough to go to the Winter Olympics, Bree Walker has just produced the best performance ever by any Australian bobsleigh driver.
Walker has reminded the selectors who snubbed her last time just what a massive blunder they made with a gutsy fightback that got her agonisingly close to snatching a medal in the inaugural women’s monobob at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Reaching a top speed of 122 km/h on the icy Chinese track nicknamed ‘the Dragon,’ the fearless Walker showed that she’s up there with the best in the world as she stormed up the leaderboard to finish fifth – less than half a second from getting on the medal podium.
“All I can say is never count an Aussie out,” she told Seven.
“I fought back today and the girls who were out there who were in front of me are the best pilots in the world.
“So to be fifth behind them at my first Olympics, I’m so chuffed. I’m so happy.”
A former hurdler, Walker met the official qualifying standards to compete in the two-woman bob event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang but was not picked after selectors told her she was too inexperienced for the biggest stage in winter sport.
An automatic choice now after establishing herself as a star on the World Cup circuit, she looked right at home from the moment she arrived in Beijing even though she struggled to get a clean run in the first two heats, held on Sunday.
Seventh at the halfway stage, she looked to have no chance of challenging for a medal but posted the second fastest time of all the finalists in each of Monday’s last two runs to surge into contention.
With all four times added together to decide the final rankings, she was unable to bridge the gap to the top three but still made it into the top five – easily the best result ever by an Australian in bobsleigh at the Olympics.
“That’s what I wanted to be able to show people back at home and then even people around the world that if you want something bad enough, you’ve just got to go out there and make it happen,” she said.
“It’s hard, but it’s all worth it. And if I think back to four years ago, I was on the sidelines of the Olympics and to be here and to be fifth at the Olympics at my first Olympic Games, my first highlight event where I’m actually a proper competitor, challenging those girls out there who I watched four years ago.
“It’s amazing. It’s all worth the hard work and effort.”
Walker’s overall time of four minutes 21.66 seconds, was 2.19 behind the gold medal winner, American Kaillie Humphries, but just 0.43 adrift of the bronze medallist, Canadian Christian de Bruin. American Elena Meyers Taylor won the silver.
Inspired by her teammate Jackie Narracott, who won a silver medal for Australia in skeleton, Walker hasn’t given up hope of getting a medal herself when she competes in the two-woman bobsleigh on Friday and Saturday.
“I wanted to be standing here at these Olympics, representing Australia being a competitor, not just a participant,” she said.
“And I think I’ve kept that promise to myself. I’m over the moon.”
AUSSIE HEARTBREAK AS MEDAL HOPE SNATCHED AWAY
History was on the line in Beijing for an Aussie superstar but the moment was cruelly snatched away in the final runs of the monobob.
Australia’s Bree Walker climbed into medal contention in the final run of the women’s monobob at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
She went first in the final runs and held on to bronze medal position until the last and was forced to settle for 5th.
The gold medal was claimed by Kaillie Humphries of the USA with compatriot Elana Meyers Taylor second and Canada took bronze.
D-DAY FOR THE RUSSIAN DOPER
International sports’ top court wrapped up its meeting into the Beijing Winter Olympics’ fate of Russian figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva after 2am local time on, officials said.
Valieva, who is 15, could be barred from competing in the women’s individual competition if the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rules against her following her failed drugs test in December.
A decision is expected to be announced at around 2pm local time (5pm AEDT) on Monday.
“The hearing … relating to figure skater Kamila Valieva came to an end at 02:10am on 14 February 2022,” said a CAS statement.
“The hearing started at 8:34pm on 13 February 2022 and was conducted by videoconference from the temporary CAS offices in Beijing.” Valieva attended the hearing as did representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), International Skating Union (ISU), the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).
“The CAS panel is now deliberating and will issue its decision on 14 February 2022, at around 2.00pm (Beijing time).”
BRUTAL NEW CONDITIONS FOR AUSSIE GOLD HOPEFULS
Heavy snow and high winds led to the cancellation of Sunday’s qualifying of the Beijing Olympic women’s aerials with Australia’s top medal contenders now preparing for a one day competition.
Beijing 2022 organisers were negotiating with broadcasters to hold the Olympic competition on Monday as a one-day event, starting at 3pm, instead of conducting it over two days that had been originally scheduled.
If this is signed off, it means that Laura Peel, Danielle Scott and Gabi Ash will compete in up to two qualifying rounds in the afternoon which will whittle the field down to 12 finalists.
The finals will be then held as originally planned on Monday evening.
The cancellation of the qualifying rounds occurred just half an hour before the competition was due to start as officials waited until the last minute for the high winds to drop. The course was blanketed in heavy snow, and temperatures hovered at minus 17 degrees but the biggest issue for the jury was the wind gusts of around 8m/sec and poor visibility.
Monday’s forecast is for improved conditions and sunny skies, but it will be particularly chilly, with temperatures plunging to minus 21 degrees.
Despite the poor conditions on Sunday a few of the competitors had a chance to try out the kickers with some warm-up jumps.
Australia’s world number three Peel successfully handled the dire conditions, landing a double twisting jump. Another competitor to attempt a warm up jump was Khazakstan’s world number seven Zhanbota Aldabergenov.
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