Lassila’s back, and flying high and mighty

Aerial skiing champion Lydia Lassila has regained her golden touch with remarkable speed.

Lydia Lassila, right, celebrates with Dani Scott in Minsk.

Despite three years away from the game, Australia’s 2010 Olympic aerial skiing champion Lydia Lassila has found her golden touch with remarkable speed.

In Minsk on Saturday night, 35-year-old Lassila won her second World Cup event of the year, as she led an Australian quinella with Dani Scott in the penultimate event of the series.

Lassila was off the circuit for three years after claiming bronze at the 2014 Sochi Games, during which she gave birth to her second son. She returned to the highest level of competition only last month but has won two of the four World Cups events she has contested and leapt to third on world standings.

The consistent Scott’s second place in Minsk allowed her to regain the top rung in the rankings, albeit by just two points over China’s Xu Mengtao (third in Minsk) as they go into the series ­finale in Moscow this weekend. Australia’s Olympic officials were proclaiming this as “Super Saturday’’ as the moguls and aerial skiers combined to win five World Cup medals in a matter of hours, lifting the season’s total to 31. The previous record was 25.

Yesterday, World Cup moguls leader Britt Cox claimed the 32nd medal, winning the dual moguls event at Thaiwoo, her seventh win in 11 starts this season.

Lassila led the charge in Belarus, completing an almost perfect triple-twisting double somersault that scored 97.64 points. Scott (94.47) and Xu (91.29) did the same jump.

“My jumping is getting better as the season goes on,” Lassila said. “This week, we were a lot smarter (than at the Olympic test event in South Korea, where the wind ­affected the Australian performances). It was pretty windy but we got it right today.

“We waited for the wind gusts and found the windows.’’

The Australian team fell just short of a rare podium sweep as Samantha Wells finished fifth.

In men’s moguls in China, the Australian team had two on the podium, as Brodie Summers broke through to earn his first World Cup medal in single moguls, finishing second, one place ahead of compatriot Matt Graham.

Women’s World Cup leader Britt Cox backed up from a third place on Saturday to yesterday’s win in dual moguls.

“I am pumped to be on another podium and even more excited to share it with Brodie and Matt,” Cox said after Saturday’s effort.

“Matt, Brodie and I live and train together almost year-round, so it felt really special for all of us to be on the podium today. It’s moti­vating for the team.”