Winter Olympic Heroes Return to Australia After Historic Games Performance
Australia's Winter Olympic champions Cooper Woods and Danielle Scott have returned home to a hero's welcome at Sydney International Airport, with the magnitude of their achievements finally sinking in after a record-breaking campaign at the Milan-Cortina Games.
"To have everyone here, I'm so stoked, it's such an honor — it's pretty wild," said gold medallist Cooper Woods, who became Australia's seventh Winter Olympic gold medallist with his unexpected victory in the men's moguls. "I just didn't expect it to be this big. I didn't understand the gratitude of winning a gold medal."
Australia's Most Successful Winter Games Ever
The 2026 Winter Olympics marked Australia's most successful campaign in history, with the team securing:
- Three gold medals (Cooper Woods in men's moguls, Josie Baff in women's snowboard cross, Jakara Anthony in women's dual moguls)
- Two silver medals (Danielle Scott in women's aerials, Scotty James in men's halfpipe)
- One bronze medal (Matt Graham in men's dual moguls)
This remarkable haul propelled Australia to 14th place on the overall medal tally, representing a significant improvement of four positions compared to the previous Winter Games four years earlier.
Medal Rush and Individual Triumphs
The Australian team achieved what had previously taken twelve years to accomplish in just three days of competition in Livigno. Cooper Woods ignited the medal rush with his surprising gold in the moguls, setting off a chain reaction of success.
Josie Baff navigated a challenging draw to claim gold in women's snowboard cross the following day, while Jakara Anthony made history by becoming the first Australian winter athlete to win two gold medals with her victory in the inaugural women's dual moguls event.
The silver medals brought contrasting emotions for the athletes. Five-time Olympian Scotty James came agonizingly close to securing his elusive gold medal, while aerial skier Danielle Scott finally translated years of elite performance into Olympic success on her fourth attempt.
Matt Graham rounded out the medal count with bronze in the men's dual moguls, adding to his silver medal from eight years earlier in the same discipline.
Calls for Increased Investment in Winter Sports
Team chef de mission Alisa Camplin, a two-time aerials medal winner herself, emphasized that Australia's winter athletes require greater investment as they prepare for the next Olympic cycle leading to the French Alps Games.
"We've probably been, in winter sport, disproportionately funded, even though we're very grateful for the ongoing funding we've had," Camplin stated. "There's just a real opportunity to equalize that a little and we can get to the next level."
Camplin attributed the team's success to strategic investments in training facilities, including:
- The Geoff Henke Olympic Winter Training Centre in Queensland, where mogul and aerial skiers practice their jumps
- The National Snow Sports Training Centre in Jindabyne, featuring airbags that have dramatically improved young snowboarders' skills
"Our dream was to show the world that we are a real winter sports nation," Camplin declared. "And when the moments came, we didn't shy away. But what's been happening here in Milano-Cortina has in many ways gone beyond our wildest dreams."
Building for the Future
While celebrating the current achievements, Camplin outlined priorities for future development, emphasizing the need for:
- Increased investment in world-class coaches
- Expanded pathway programs for aspiring athletes
- Enhanced training facilities and infrastructure
"We know what we're capable of now," Camplin asserted. "And I hope that we'll have more investors, more philanthropy, more government support so that we can take this opportunity and really capitalize on it."
With the average age of the 2026 team being just 25 years old, including five teenagers, Australia's winter sports program shows promising potential for continued growth. Camplin expressed particular excitement about the French Alps 2030 Games, noting that the country's embrace of Italy's multi-venue structure could benefit Australian athletes.
"Perhaps the world should watch out because Aussie kids are growing up now knowing that if you chase a big dream, surround yourself with great people and work both hard and smart, that absolutely anything is possible," Camplin concluded, reflecting on the inspirational impact of the team's success on future generations of Australian winter athletes.
