Aussie champion hails ‘amazing’ timing after historic aerials jump before Games

Even Laura Peel is amazed by her own near-perfect form before next month’s Winter Olympics after the Australian aerials champion crushed her rivals at a World Cup event and became only the third woman to land a quadruple twisting triple backflip this week.

Peel was the runaway winner in the Deer Valley event in the US on Thursday (AEDT), completing a clean back full-full-full to receive a massive score of 118.05 points and top spot on the day. The score would have put the two-time world champion on the podium of the men’s event.

At the weekend, the 32-year-old from Canberra landed a historic quadruple twisting triple backflip on snow. Australian Lydia Lassila and former world champion Ashley Caldwell of the US are the only other women to achieve the feat.

“I feel like I have been working for a long time to put down a jump like this,” Peel said.

“To do it right ahead of the Olympic Games is amazing. I’ve been putting the work on the triple for a few seasons now, and I’m always very grateful for the experience I have when things get tough.

“So many people have helped me get to this point in my career and continue to help me chase my dreams every day, but when I started working with my coach Mich Roth three years ago, things started to click. We make a great team.”

Australian Danielle Scott attempted the same jump as Peel in the World Cup final but was let down by her landing and finished with an overall score of 80.27. China’s Kong Fanyu, who scored 84.58, and Hanna Huskova of Belarus (82.65), finished second and third respectively.

The aerial athletes now head to a training camp in Canada before the Olympics, which will be held in Beijing next month.

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