Jason Begg Smith Jason Begg-Smith breaks Australia’s duck
SAUZE D’OULX, Italy (Reuters) — Dale Begg-Smith confirmed his Olympic billing to snatch Australia’s first medal of the Torino Games by winning the men’s freestyle skiing moguls on Wednesday.
The Canadian-born event favorite, 21, topped qualifying to go last in the final but he coped with the pressure to earn 26.77 points out of 30 from the judges.
Ex-world champion Mikko Ronkainen of Finland set the pace with an exhilarating run rewarded with silver and Toby Dawson of the United States took bronze.
It was Australia’s third gold in Winter Olympics history following their breakthrough in Salt Lake City in 2002.