Americans Go One-Two in Olympic Mogul Event for Gold and Silver

It was a one-two performance for America’s Liz Lemley and Jaelin Kauf in the women’s Olympic mogul event.

Lemley earned the win and the gold. Kauf earned silver. France’s Perrine Laffont, who took Olympic gold in 2018, rounded out the podium. 

During the competition, Australia’s Jakara Anthony, a medal favorite and the defending Olympic champion, slipped and finished eighth, saying later that she was “bummed” about the performance.

Other members of the American squad, Olivia Giaccio and Tess Johnson, cracked the top ten, landing in ninth and tenth, respectively.

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For the newcomer, Lemley, it was an impressive and surprising Olympic debut. At 20 years old, this was her first Winter Games.

"It’s pretty unreal," said Lemley, per U.S. Ski & Snowboard. "It definitely hasn’t quite hit me yet. It’s super euphoric and I’m just so happy… To be honest, I just love skiing and I just enjoy myself in the gate. I enjoy competing, I enjoy showcasing my skill, and that’s really what this is all about."

Kauf, meanwhile, was the more seasoned Olympian at 29. She also took second in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, improving on a seventh-place Olympic finish in 2018.

"I put down runs I'm stoked with and that's all I wanted out of today. It’s extra special to land on the podium," said Kauf, per U.S. Ski & Snowboard. "To see Liz is insane; I’m so stoked for her—to be able to share the podium with her, another U.S. athlete, is really cool."

Amid the celebrations, there was also a connection to another story unfolding at the Olympics. News outlets reported that after claiming her gold, Lemley’s medal separated from its ribbon—an issue organizers have said they found a fix for, and is happening with a small number of medals.

Lemley showed off her repaired medal at a press conference afterwards, though.