Moguls king Mikael Kingsbury breezed through qualification at the 2025 Freestyle skiing and Snowboard World Championships in Engadin on Tuesday, 18 March.
The Corviglia mountain was a postcard at the start of the men’s competition on what is known as a “bluebird” day - sunny skies and perfect conditions - where the top 20 finishers progressed to Wednesday’s final.
All eyes were on the Canadian Olympic gold medallist and the sport’s greatest athlete ever as he entered the start gates to begin his bid for a fourth-consecutive moguls world title.
Roared on by the cowbell-ringing fans in the finish area and casual skiers watching on from the side of the piste, Kingsbury flew down the right side of the track, executed two perfect landings and crossed the line in under 20 seconds.
The crowd was dancing to pumping house music at the bottom, but the 32-year-old typically showed no emotion as he heard the score before making his way off the mountain.
A break in competition followed after a cloud suddenly enveloped the course leading to low visibility. Action resumed 90 minutes later, but no one overtook Kingsbury, who secured second (80.54) behind Sweden’s Filip Gravensfors (81.33).
Japan’s 2017 world champion Horishima Ikuma took fourth (78.75), ahead of Australian Olympic silver medallist Matt Graham in sixth (77.02).
It would be a brave person who bets against Kingsbury making more history with another victory tomorrow after he recently claimed a hat-trick of Crystal Globes in the World Cup season.
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Earlier in the day, Team USA’s overall Crystal Globe winner Jaelin Kauf took top spot (75.77) in the women’s qualification round as she bids for a first world championship crown.
Rising Japanese star Yanagimoto Rino finished second (72.42).
French Olympic gold medallist and two-time moguls world champion Perrine Laffont finished third (72.37) to confirm another intriguing chapter in her rivalry with Kauf in Wednesday’s final.
The men’s and women’s finals will begin at 10:15am CET.
Moguls qualification results - 2025 Freeski and Snowboard World Championships Engadin
1 - Jaelin Kauf (USA) 75.77
2 - Yanagimoto Rino (JPN) 72.42
3 - Perrine Laffont (FRA) 72.37
4 - Maia Schwinghammer (CAN) 71.09
5 - Nakao Haruka (JPN) 69.05
6 - Charlotte Wilson (AUS) 69.02
7 - Tess Johnson (USA) 68.85
8 - Tomitaka Hinako (JPN) 67.53
1 - Filip Gravenfors (SWE) 81.33
2 - Mikael Kingsbury (CAN) 80.54
3 - Nick Page (USA) 79.09
4 - Horishima Ikuma (JPN) 78.75
5 - Julien Viel (CAN) 78.06
6 - Matt Graham (AUS) 77.02
7 - Nishizawa Taketo (JPN) 76.48
8 - Dylan Walczyk (USA) 75.61
Click here to see a full breakdown of the results.