Jakara Anthony has etched her name deeper into Australian sporting history at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, securing her second Olympic gold medal in the debut of the women’s dual moguls event on February 14, 2026.

The 27-year-old freestyle skier from Queensland, who claimed Australia’s first Winter Olympic gold in over a decade with her dominant performance in the women’s moguls at Beijing 2022, bounced back spectacularly after a disappointing eighth-place finish in the individual moguls event just days earlier. In the newly introduced dual moguls—where athletes race head-to-head down parallel bump-filled courses—Anthony navigated five single-elimination rounds with precision and composure, ultimately defeating American Jaelin Kauf in the big final to claim the historic first-ever Olympic title in the discipline. American Liz Lemley took bronze after edging out France’s Perrine Laffont in the small final.

This victory makes Anthony Australia’s first-ever two-time Winter Olympic gold medallist, highlighting her resilience and skill in one of the most demanding freestyle skiing formats. Dual moguls combines the technical demands of traditional moguls—absorbing bumps, executing turns, and nailing aerial jumps—with the added intensity of direct competition against an opponent, demanding split-second decisions and superior speed control.

Four years on from her breakthrough in Beijing, where she posted a winning score of 83.09 to outclass silver medallist Jaelin Kauf (USA) and bronze winner Anastasiia Smirnova (ROC), Anthony reflected that her core approach remains consistent, though refined by experience. “I don’t think I’ve changed as a human since Beijing,” she said ahead of the Games. “I’ve learnt a lot over the last four years, and I’ve been able to take that experience and use it to help with things in life, in sport. Training is just the same approach, trying to train hard and master as many skills as we can heading into these Games.”

Her preparation emphasized granular detail—what she calls the “one percenters.” “I’m trying to be as good as possible at the sport,” Anthony explained. “Trying to master as many skills as possible: the skiing, the jumping, the speed. And to do that, you need to be working towards mastering stuff outside of the sport—in the gym, fitness, strength, the mental side of things, just absolutely everything.” This meticulous focus on incremental gains, from physical conditioning to mental resilience, proved decisive in the high-stakes dual format.

The road to Milano Cortina wasn’t without hurdles. After her Beijing triumph, Anthony suffered a collarbone injury requiring surgery, sidelining her for much of the following season. She viewed the forced break positively: “I think it was a good break mentally. I got my first summer at home in fifteen years. I got to go to my first Tennis Grand Slam and World Superbikes at Phillip Island, and all sorts of things over the summer.” Recovery involved physical and mental challenges, but she emerged stronger and more appreciative of the journey.

Entering these Games as the reigning champion brought new dynamics. “It’s going to be different going into these Games as reigning champion,” she acknowledged. “I didn’t experience pressure going into the last Games and I probably still don’t know what they’re going to be.” Yet Anthony reframed the expectation positively: “You could interpret that as pressure, or you can interpret it as, like, ‘it’s super cool that people are looking up to me like that and have that kind of belief in me.’” Her optimistic outlook shone through in her redemption arc, turning a setback in the singles event into historic success.

The women’s dual moguls schedule on February 14 (all times CET/UTC+1) unfolded as follows:

10:30 – 1/16 Finals
11:00 – 1/8 Finals
11:20 – Quarterfinals
11:35 – Semifinals
11:46 – Small Final
11:48 – Big Final

Anthony’s triumph contributed to Australia’s strongest Winter Olympics performance to date, underscoring the growth of freestyle skiing in the Southern Hemisphere nation.

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Anthony’s journey—from PyeongChang 2018 fourth-place heartbreak to Beijing gold and now dual moguls glory—embodies dedication to the smallest edges that separate champions. As she continues to inspire, her story reminds us that mastery comes from relentless pursuit of those vital one percenters.