Mikael Kingsbury settles for moguls bronze at world championships
Justine Dufour-Lapointe takes bronze in women's event
Mikael Kingsbury whacked his pole against his ski in frustration after his final moguls run at the world freestyle ski championship Wednesday.
The 24-year-old from Deux-Montagnes, Que., knew bobbling the landing on his second jump would cost him. Kingsbury settled for bronze behind winner Ikuma Horishima of Japan and runner-up Benjamin Cavet of France.
"I felt just a little bit stiff before the bottom air and I got into the jump a bit faster than I expected," Kingsbury told reporters on a conference call later in the day.
"I tried my best to land in the best position that I could, but I was farther than I expected and I landed pretty deep. It cost me a lot."
Reigning Olympic women's champion Justine Dufour-Lapointe of Montreal took bronze in women's singles. Britteny Cox of Australia won gold followed by silver medallist Perrine Laffont of France.
Dufour-Lapointe didn't make any glaring mistakes, but the 22-year-old didn't earn enough points from the judges to finish higher on the podium.
"I'm a little bit disappointed with my result because of course I wanted to win," she said. "I won't lie to you about that, but in the same way, but it's a sport that's judged.
"Sometimes you don't have the right to say something, but I know I did not stop fighting through the day. I pushed myself and gave it all, so I don't have any regrets right now."
Kingsbury and Dufour-Lapointe race dual moguls Thursday in which skiers race head to head (CBCSports.ca, 6 a.m. ET). Only single moguls is included in the Winter Olympics.
Kingsbury, an Olympic silver medallist in 2014, won seven World Cup gold medals in a row coming into Sierra Nevada and claimed the sixth crystal globe of his career as the season's overall champion.
His bronze was the seventh world championship medal of his career. Kingsbury will attempt to defend the dual moguls title he claimed two years ago in Austria.
He's been so dominant this season that it seems surprising when he doesn't win.
"It's a fun position to be in and at the same time, it's a tough position to be in sometimes," Kingsbury said. "If I'm not winning, sometimes I feel people think that I had a bad race. Like today, I felt pretty good.
"I didn't manage to ski exactly the run I wanted and messed up the landing. But that's OK. I have tomorrow to try to better.
"Even if tomorrow doesn't go well, I'm still extremely happy with my season."
Justine's sister Chloe, who took Olympic silver behind her sister in 2014, didn't make the six-woman super final and placed ninth.
Andi Naude of Penticton, B.C., finished 13th, another Dufour-Lapointe sister, Maxime, was 16th and Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City placed 18th.
Marc-Antoine Gagnon of Terrebone, Que., was 10th in the men's event, with Philippe Marquis of Quebec City in 16th. Laurent Dumais of Quebec City didn't advance out of the qualifying round.