Winter Olympics: Tears flow, skis thrown as Australia's Cooper Woods wins moguls Milano Cortina gold despite same score as Canada's Mikael Kingsbury
By Leon Imber
Published 12/02/2026 at 14:55 GMT
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TNT Sports commentator Richard Cobbing exclaimed that moguls skiing had "never seen a finish like this" as Australia's Cooper Woods stunned the field to take gold in the freeski men's moguls at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Woods recorded the exact same score as Canada's Mikael Kingsbury - forcing a tie-break which split hairs between their final runs.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Cooper Woods held his skis aloft as his Australian entourage had their hands on their heads in disbelief. Nine-time world champion Mikael Kingsbury slammed his skis to the floor in frustration.
Against all odds, the 25-year-old - who had never won a medal at the Olympics nor World Championships - scooped gold in the freeski men's moguls at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, on Thursday, beating the typically all-conquering Kingsbury to the top of the podium - and in unprecedented style.
"Cooper Woods cannot believe it, the Australian team can't believe it. I don't think Mik Kingsbury can believe it either," said TNT Sports commentator Richard Cobbing. "I've never seen a finish like that, even at World Cup competitions. For this to happen at the Olympic finals really is something."
Woods was not even tipped to medal in the event, with Kingsbury and Japan’s Ikuma Horishima the expected frontrunners.
And it appeared the gold would be heading to the Canadian as he topped the standings with just Woods and one other set to ski their second and final run.
But if the opening week of action at the Milano Cortina Games has taught us anything, the key learning would be to expect a wild storyline to emerge from nowhere.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
And so it proved once again, as Woods embarked on the greatest run of his career so far, finishing in 22.61 seconds and, remarkably, posting the exact same score as Kingsbury - 83.71.
While in some events, that would see the gold medal shared - not in moguls. Instead, a tie-break which is decided by their turn points score.
And indeed, Woods edged it by a slight margin - 48.4 to Kingsbury’s 47.7 - claiming a historic victory and, notably, Australia's first gold medal of the Winter Games.
Woods was in tears - seemingly in disbelief - as the podium trio walked off to prepare for the medal ceremony.
Kingsbury, who had kept his composure to congratulate his rival in the immediate aftermath, let the mask hiding his frustration slip as he launched his skis into the ground.
"You can understand the disappointment," Cobbing said. "This is the biggest stage in the world."
Kingsbury won his fourth Olympic medal as he took silver, in what ultimately felt like a letdown for a man who has become so accustomed to standing atop the podium.
He clinched his 100th World Cup victory at Val Saint-Come earlier this season - a record haul, alongside his 143 podiums.
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"Woods put down the run of his life," Cobbing said. "He cannot believe it, and neither could everybody else when the scores came through."
Thursday's drama was not the first instance of scores being tied at the Milano Cortina Games.
Swiss duo Marco Odermatt and Loic Meillard scored the exact same as Austria's Vincent Kriechmayr and Manuel Feller in the men's Alpine skiing combined event.
But in that instance, there was no tie-breaker. Instead, the two teams shared the silver medal, with the bronze position on the podium empty.
Kingsbury may well be wishing his event followed suit. Instead, he was denied by the finest of margins.
Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on discovery+. Available across all subscription plans, starting at ÂŁ3.99.
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