Freestyle skier Cooper Woods has put Australia on the medal table at the 2026 Winter Olympics after winning gold in the men’s moguls final.
His score of 83.71 was exactly the same as Canadian Mikael Kingsbury, but was given first place due to a better turn score – in other words, he maintained better technique through the moguls than his competitor, which is weighted more than the other judged elements of speed and aerial tricks.
Australia may not seem like an obvious medal-winning nation at a Winter Olympics, given the famously warm climate and the geographical distance from other countries that can provide training facilities for athletes, but in recent years they have consistently won medals.
While many may think of mountainous, colder European countries as the obvious contenders for Winter Olympic glory, Australia is home to a number of ski resorts in New South Wales and Victoria – although many rely on machine-made snow.
So how has the country fared over various editions of the Games?
