WORLD champion Britt Cox and Aussie rookie Jakara Anthony narrowly missed the medals in a thrilling conclusion to the women’s moguls at the Winter Olympics.
Cox was the second best qualifier to the final six but had a poor run and finished fifth. She was beaten by Anthony, who was the only finalist who missed direct qualification, and surprised with her fourth placing.
The event was won by Perrine Laffont, the 19-year-old French ace who was second to Cox at the world championships last year.
Laffont scored 78.65 for a narrow win over Canada’s defending champion Justine Dufour-Lapointe, while Yulia Galysheva was third – winning only the second ever Winter Games medal for Kazakhstan.
Cox, 23, was the dominant moguls skier in 2016-17, winning the World Cup and world championship in winning seven of her 11 outings.
This year she has been wildly inconsistent, and so it proved again on Sunday.
She had progressed to the top 10 in sixth and her first run Sunday was a nervous affair, but she grew immensely in the top 12 shootout to start the final in second.
The sport is judged 60 per cent on turns, 20 per cent on air and 20 per cent on speed. She was the quickest of the final six, but well short in the other categories.
Anthony was also at her best in the top 12 final.
Cox had no argument with her result and said she achieved her goal of “going for it.”
“My goal coming into this week was to go for it, that was the main goal in my mind,” Cox said.
“I was scrappy and the girls who were on the podium are deserving of their results.”
She tried for big air off the first kicker but felt “wobbly”. “It’s the Olympics you’ve got to go for it. I went big and skied fast.”
Anthony was happy with her result.
“It’s pretty awesome. It’s great result and I’m so happy (although) a bit bittersweet missing out on the podium.”
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