Freestyle skiing aerialist Danielle Scott exclusive: Fourth time could be the charm — “I would love to finally get that gold medal”

Scott sets her sights on Olympic gold

Scott has learned the hard way that some factors remain beyond an aerial skier’s control, chief among them, the weather.

“The weather can really affect us,” she said. “Sometimes you just get dealt a bad hand of weather. So that would be the biggest challenge.

“In our sport there are a lot of variables and things that can get in the way and sometimes it can be anyone’s day and that’s how the last two Olympics have felt.”

For Scott, the pursuit of Olympic gold remains the ultimate ambition, to attain it she’ll narrow her focus to the factors she can control: “The dream of a gold medal, that’s what would make me content. But sometimes you have to accept that that’s not always the case and you just need to hit your personal goals.”

And those goals are clear.

“Complete triple flips, maximise the points and the scoring in that, and know that I’ve done absolutely everything I can, I’ll be happy,”

Scott has repeatedly shown the smarts required to navigate difficult conditions. At the Lake Placid World Cup, where six super finalists attempted triple jumps, she made the calculated decision not to go for a triple. Instead, she delivered a back double full-full, prioritizing execution over risk in challenging weather.

The gamble paid off. Her clean, composed run impressed the judges and earned her the win.

Scott says her focus for Italy is on discipline and execution: “Make sure every jump is everything you’ve work towards. You don’t waste any any jumps out there.”

Australia’s medal prospects are also stronger than ever. With male aerialist Reilly Flanagan selected, Australia will be represented in the mixed team aerials event for the first time at an Olympic Games — giving Scott two opportunities to reach the podium in Livigno, in addition to the individual aerials competition.