The world’s second- and third-ranked female moguls skiers continue to cement themselves as elite World Cup athletes after each earning two more podiums over the weekend at Deer Valley Resort in Utah.

Battling a rain and snow mixture on Thursday, five American women, including Steamboat’s Olivia Giaccio and Jaelin Kauf, advanced to the super final, leaving just one spot available for Japanese skier Hinako Tomitaka. Kauf’s final run of the evening put her in prime position for a podium, crossing the finish line nearly two seconds ahead of the next fastest skier.

The highlight of the night, however, came from Giaccio, who put down the final women’s run of the night. She threw a cork 1080 on her second hit and landed it to secure her first World Cup victory since the 2021-22 winter season. Giaccio will go down in history as the first woman to win a moguls World Cup by landing a cork 1080.

Kauf and Giaccio each followed up with podiums Saturday in a dual moguls event. Kauf edged out Giaccio in the semi-final, 25-10, reaching the big final to take on the world No. 1 ranked, Jakara Anthony of Australia. Anthony took down Kauf 22-13, giving the Steamboat skier the silver medal. Giaccio took bronze with her victory in the small final. This was the ninth podium of the season for both Giaccio and Kauf.

On the men’s side, Steamboat’s Landon Wendler and Charlie Mickel each posted solid results in Deer Valley. Wendler Now has three top 10 finishes in his last four World Cup events including taking eighth on Thursday. Mickel took 10th on the same day, his best World Cup finish of the season. 

Belshaw flies to personal best World Cup finish

World Cup ski jumpers were flying through the skies of Willingen, Germany, over the weekend where Annika Belshaw of Steamboat Springs managed her top performance of the season. 

On Saturday, Belshaw’s incredible 112.5 meter jump on the HS147 large hill put her in 13th place in the field. Her second jump of 99.5 meters gave her 20th overall, her best finish of the year. 

Belshaw followed up with a 26th place finish Sunday after jumping 122.5 and 103.5 meters in her two jumps of the day. 

Men’s ski jumper Decker Dean placed 46th on Sunday with a 112.5 meter jump. 

Brabec earns first World Cup top 10

Four of Steamboat’s best were in Seefeld, Austria over the weekend competing in men’s and women’s Nordic combined events on the World Cup circuit.

Alexa Brabec recorded her first career top 10 World Cup finish Friday following a jump to 13th and skiing up three positions in the 5-kilometer race on a 15 minute, 34.9 second time. 

Brabec’s teammate, Annika Malacinski, was not far behind with a jump to 17th and skiing up to 13th overall to earn her seventh top 15 of the year.

On Saturday, Brabec had another great showing by jumping 87 meters to start 10th in the ski race where she fell slightly back to 12th overall. Malacinski was disqualified during her jump.

The Nordic combined men had three World Cup events as part of the Seefeld Triple, beginning with Friday’s event where Niklas Malacinski and Grant Andrews took 37th and 43rd, respectively, among a field of 55. Andrews followed up by taking 32nd on Saturday, and Niklas was right behind in 33rd. 

Niklas earned his best result of the weekend on Sunday by placing 23rd overall following a 35:27.8 time on the 12.5-kilometer race while Andrews took 34th. 

Jacobs fourth in World Cup halfpipe standings

Riley Jacobs, a freestyle halfpipe skier from Oak Creek, continued her World Cup success over the weekend by taking sixth Friday at Mammoth Mountain in California. 

Of her two runs on the day, Jacobs’ first run earned 74.25 points leaving her just over eight points out of podium position. In her three World Cup events this winter, Jacobs has placed as high as fourth and took sixth twice. 

Jacobs is actively ranked fourth on the freestyle halfpipe World Cup standings.