Quebec’s Julien Viel clinched his inaugural World Cup championship on Saturday by triumphing in the men’s dual moguls event at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup on his native terrain. Despite finishing about 1.5 seconds behind his Japanese rival Ikuma Horishima, Viel claimed victory with a 20-15 score, displaying adept control and poise during his performance. Sweden’s Filip Gravenfors secured the third spot, surpassing Finland’s Olli Penttala.
Viel emphasized his cautious approach to the competition, stating, “I played it safe today. It’s very dangerous out there, so I just did my runs and tried not to injure myself.” He expressed satisfaction with his strategy, adding, “The plan worked. I pushed just enough, but not too much, so I’m very happy.”
The enthusiastic crowd from Val St-Côme, Quebec, rallied behind Viel throughout the event, erupting in cheers when his winning score was announced. Viel acknowledged the crowd’s support, mentioning that he drew motivation from their energy at the top of the slope.
The Canadian dominance continued as Viel’s victory, alongside Mikaël Kingsbury’s 100th career World Cup win in moguls the previous day, ensured both the men’s moguls and men’s dual moguls titles went to Canadians. Charles Beaulieu also represented Canada well with an eighth-place finish in the men’s dual moguls event.
In the women’s competition, the U.S. athletes claimed the top four positions. Jaelin Kauf emerged victorious with a score of 23, surpassing silver medalist Elizabeth Lemley. Tess Johnson completed the U.S. podium sweep, finishing ahead of Olivia Giaccio. Canadian athletes Maïa Schwinghamme and Jessica Linton secured seventh and eighth place, respectively, in the top 10 rankings.