The Stifel U.S. Ski Team delivered a strong performance at the Beidahu dual moguls event on February 22nd, with Jaelin Kauf claiming first place and Tess Johnson finishing third. Held in Beidahu, China, under sunny skies and chilly temperatures, the fast course set the stage for an exciting competition. Nine U.S. athletes advanced to the finals, showcasing the team’s depth in this World Cup stop.
The women’s event began with the round of 32, where Kauf automatically qualified for the finals. Kylie Kariotis, Kasey Hogg, Olivia Giaccio, and Johnson also moved forward after winning their first-round duals, while Kai Owens placed 17th after a tough matchup. On the men’s side, Dylan Walczyk, Nick Page, Asher Michel, and Charlie Mickel all advanced to the round of 16. In the eighth finals, Kariotis beat Canada’s Maia Schwinghammer 21-14, and Giaccio topped Hogg, who finished 12th. Mickel faced off against Mikael Kingsbury of Canada, losing 15-20 to end 12th, with Walczyk and Michel placing 14th and 16th.
In the quarterfinals, Kauf defeated Japan’s Hinako Tomitaka 24-11, while Johnson took down Rino Yanagimoto, ranked third globally, to reach the semifinals. Kariotis outlasted Giaccio, who fell and finished eighth. Page advanced past Australia’s Matt Graham 20-15. The semifinals saw Page fall to Finland’s Severi Vierela, finishing fourth, while Kauf beat Kariotis to reach the big final. Johnson lost narrowly to France’s Perrine Laffont 15-20, setting up an all-American small final against Kariotis. Johnson edged out Kariotis, who skied out near the end, to claim third—her first podium in nearly two years. Kariotis took fourth, a personal best.
Kauf faced Laffont in the big final and won decisively as Laffont skied out, marking Kauf’s fifth straight victory and 11th consecutive podium. This result strengthens her lead in the overall World Cup standings. The team now heads to Almaty, Kazakhstan, for moguls events from February 28th to March 1st, while aerials continue in B
