Australian moguls skier Matt Graham has claimed a bronze medal in the men's dual moguls event at the Winter Olympics. Graham defeated Japanese skier Takuya Shimakawa 20-15 in the small final to secure the podium finish.
The medal is Australia's third from the moguls competition at these Games and the fifth overall, marking the country's most successful Winter Olympics. For Graham, it is his second Olympic medal after winning silver in PyeongChang in 2018.
Graham's Beijing campaign had been hampered by injury, making the bronze a fitting reward for what is likely his final Olympics. He expressed satisfaction with his performance, noting that he was able to ski consistently well throughout the day.
In the big final, Canadian Mikaël Kingsbury won gold after Japanese skier Ikuma Horishima, who had beaten Graham in the semifinals, crashed out. The competition saw several crashes, including singles gold medallist Cooper Woods, who aborted his final jump in the round of 16.
Graham's only misstep came in the semifinal against Horishima, losing 21-14 despite skiing well on the challenging blue course. However, he mastered the same course in the final, delivering a precise and skillful run to secure the bronze.
