Laura Peels wins back to back gold in Russia

It was another golden performance for Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship holder Laura Peel at the World Cup aerial skiing event in Yaroslavl, Russia, under lights taking victory for the second consecutive time this season.

The VIS World Champion and current world number one was the only female to perform triple somersault in the medal round, scoring 96.59 points with her full-tuck-full jump.
 
“I competed in my first ever World Cup 10 years ago today and celebrated the occasion with a win in Yaroslavl today”, Peel said after claiming the sixth World Cup victory of her career.
 
“It has been one hell of a ride". 


Behind Peel on the podium was American Ashley Caldwell (96.23) in second and Liubov Nikitina of Russia (93.41) in third.
 
Peels VIS teammate Abbey Willcox qualified for finals in eighth place but was unable to take part after crashing her last jump in finals training and injuring her knee.

In the second event in Yaroslavl the following day, a one jump World Cup event was held, Peel executed her most difficult full-full-full jump (three somersaults with three twists) for the first time in competition but made a mistake on landing finishing in 21st place.

In the aerial skiing World Cup standings Peel maintained the world cup leader’s yellow bib on top of the field with 210 points after three competitions. Kalia Kuhn of the USA sits in second place with 146 points, with her USA teammate Ashley Caldwell in third place with 145 points.

The aerial skiing World Cup tour will now travel to Moscow for another night-time aerials showdown at the iconic scaffold jump located at the famous Sparrow Hills next Saturday, January 23.

Article Source: Olympic Winter Institute of Australia

Latest News

Throwing herself into history: Stephanie Ratcliffe’s rise in hammer throw hero image

Throwing herself into history: Stephanie Ratcliffe’s rise in hammer throw

September 12, 2025

Stephanie Ratcliffe’s Olympic debut came after a season of highs, setbacks, and steady support. Now back in Melbourne, she’s focused on the next challenge: the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

Flexible fathers hero image

Flexible fathers

September 7, 2025

Supporting Victoria’s athletes to be their best starts with ensuring our staff can perform at their best too. That means maintaining an adaptive workplace that values flexibility and supports parents.

Managing low iron: Inside the VIS approach to athlete nutrition hero image

Managing low iron: Inside the VIS approach to athlete nutrition

September 5, 2025

​For many athletes, tiredness comes with the territory. Long training blocks, early mornings, and demanding schedules all take their toll. But when fatigue lingers despite rest and recovery, it may signal something more than just a heavy workload.

Olympic Champion Dr Lauren Burns OAM to lead VIS as Chair hero image

Olympic Champion Dr Lauren Burns OAM to lead VIS as Chair

September 4, 2025

Olympic gold medallist Dr Lauren Burns OAM OLY has been appointed as Chair of the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) – bringing years of sport and academia experience to the role.

Inspiring young Victorians on the road to 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games hero image

Inspiring young Victorians on the road to 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games

August 20, 2025

Olympian Tess Lloyd has swapped her Olympic sailing gear for a new role at the VIS, helping athletes share their stories and inspire Victorians. Being an athlete speaker herself, it was a full-circle moment when she returned to the classroom alongside two VIS winter athletes. Hear what makes this role so meaningful for her and how she’s helping inspire the community.

Related news

See all our partners

VIS is proudly supported by