IT was night of raw emotion combined with exhilaration for the Australian men’s mogul team as a champion shed tears and a youngster announced himself to the mogul world.
Cooper Woods-Topalovic, the 21 year old Australian who was expected to make up the numbers skied the performance of his mogul life to make the super final 6 skiers in a dramatic night at the Genting Snow Park.
After a steady qualifying run two nights previous that left Woods-Topalovic with work to do to make the final, the young man from Pambula on the NSW South Coast improved his score in every run and outgunned his fellow teammates eventually finishing in sixth position in what was a sensational result.
As Woods-Topalovic was celebrating, PyeongChang silver medallist Matt Graham shed tears as he produced one of his worst performances in the second qualification to miss the finals. In an interview long after his run Graham wiped away tears as he said he was embarrassed by his run.
The 27 year-year-old from Gosford on the NSW Central Coast was expected to contend for a medal at these games, and while he did break a collar bone seven weeks prior, he said that had not affected his performance. In commentary they said he had been training exceptionally well.
In the interview Graham said, “this hurts a hell of a lot more than the collarbone did, I’m not going to lie”.
On his athlete social media page on Sunday morning Graham said, "Tonight was a heart breaking result and was extremely tough to swallow".
"When you work your ass off for so many years and fight hard to get back in time after a set-back, the defeat seems harder to understand. I wish I could have shown the world what I am capable of right now. I know I had it in me, but it was not to be."
His sister Eliza who is a team physio at the games consoled her brother before they crossed to Matt’s parents, Debbie and Steve, at home where many of the mogul parents and supporters had congregated for the mogul events. The mogul fraternity really are a untied group, athletes and parents.
Cooper Woods-Topalovic has grown up with moguls in his blood, his uncle Peter Toplaovic a moguls coach and his family spending time between Pambula and Jindabyne, with Cooper training at Perisher in the Australian season.
“What a night,” Cooper said.
“That was just what I’ve been working for my entire life. So to stand up there in the super final, it was just a starstruck moment. I’m a little bit lost for words to be honest.”
His emotion was sensational, and he will now be one of the team leaders with fellow skier James Matheson indicating this is his last event, and Brodie Summers not giving any firm indication if he will continue past his third Winter Olympic games.
The team are very close friends, and this event could be a huge moment in Australian men’s moguls.
Matt Graham did not comment on his future last night but has previously thought he could continue past these games. With this disappointment, that could be motivation to go around for another four-year cycle.
With the three elders having guided Cooper Woods-Topalovic along his journey, perhaps he now finds himself being the guiding light in future. Time will tell.
Brodie Summers can feel very proud of his Beijing games. He skied very well and when you look at the scores and the final standings, there were some cracking skiers above him who all skied exceptionally well.
Defending champion Mikael Kingsbury from Canada was expected to win gold, and the mogul king look set for the top podium step when he registered a 82.18 score with only one skier left to run.
But Sweden’s Walter Wallberg proved the upset of the games so far with a blistering run to snatch an unlikely gold meal, and his first ever win at the top echelon of the mogul sport.
Wallberg’s score of 83.23 will see him become a legend of Sweden with Ikuma Hiroshima placing third with a score of 81.48.
