Danielle Scott has won her first Crystal Globe as the number one aerials skier in the world for the 2023 season, with compatriot Laura Peel claiming victory in the final round to take second overall.
Scott, 33, a two-time runner up in the end of year World Cup rankings, needed to beat Canadian rival Marion Thenault in the final competition of the season in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
And she did, winning the silver medal behind Peel to record Australia’s second World Cup one-two in a row.
Peel’s gold medal performance — her eighth career World Cup victory — saw her leapfrog Thenault into second place overall in the World Cup standings.
“You know, I’m stoked,” Peel said.
“I had a tough start to the season, the first two events I just jumped like a potato, and when you’ve only got six events its hard to make up points, so I’m super stoked to finish second [overall].
“Australia one-two is massive and big congrats to Dani on the globe.”
In the final, Peel was the only woman to perform the triple back somersault jumps, which earned her a deserved 110.36 points and first place with a back lay-full-full.
Scott had qualified for the finals in first place with her precise double somersaults, for which she was awarded 97.99 for her back double-full-full in the top-six shoot out to finish second.
That saw Scott end the season with 462 World Cup points with Peel second (362) and Thenault third (350).
“There’s a lot of weight to this one,” Scott, who made her World Cup debut in 2012, said after being presented with the trophy.
“For me, honestly, finally … I’m so proud of the team around me … we worked to well together this season and I’m so grateful.”
Scott’s overall victory was the reward for a stunning season in which she won World Cup events in Ruka, Deer Valley and Engadin and picked up a World Championship silver medal.
The jubilation is a far cry from the scenes a year ago in Beijing, when both Peel and Scott missed out on medals at the Winter Olympics despite coming in as favourites.
Scott is just the latest Australian woman to be crowned world number one, joining Kirstie Marshall, Jacqui Cooper, Alisa Camplin, Lydia Lassila and Peel on the honour role.
Australia’s stunning record in aerials is reflected in its record at the Winter Olympics as well: Four of Australia’s 19 Winter Olympic medals — and a third of the six gold medals — have been won by female aerials skiers.