Two Canadian medal hopefuls crash in heartbreaking moguls final at Beijing Olympics

Canada had not one, but two heartbreaking falls in the Beijing Winter Games women's moguls finals on Sunday.

Two of three Canadians competing in the freestyle skiing event crashed during their runs, ending their Olympic campaigns in dramatic fashion.

Under frigid temperatures, Justine Dufour-Lapointe was eliminated after falling during the first round of Sunday's final, while Sofiane Gagnon suffered the same fate in the next round.

But those moments were as inspiring as they were heartbreaking — starting with Dufour-Lapointe.

The 27-year-old two-time Olympic medallist looked poised to climb the podium again after scoring 71.45 points in the qualifying round. Unfortunately, she appeared to lose balance upon landing her first jump of the finals competition.

Dufour-Lapointe then got up of her own volition and finish the run despite being automatically disqualified.

In a poignant scene after her stumble, Dufour-Lapointe’s sister and fellow moguls competitor, Chloé Dufour-Lapointe, consoled her with a hug and words of encouragement.

Dufour-Lapointe’s crash left spectators incredulous, considering that the three-time Olympian was a heavy favourite this year. The Montreal native won gold in the 2014 games in Sochi and silver in the 2018 games in Pyeongchang, respectively.

Unfortunately, the trend continued for the Canadian women in the moguls finals.

Competing in her first Olympic Games, Gagnon also fell after losing her line off the first jump in the second round. Just like her veteran teammate, Gagnon picked herself up and finished her run.

During her first qualifying run, Gagnon lamented the arduous conditions of the mountain, as the course was exceptionally icy and tough on her legs. The 22-year-old added that it was difficult blocking out the complaints coming from her competitors.

“It’s hard not to listen to it because you do hear the announcers at the top,” Gagnon said. “You try to block it out as much as you can and stay in your bubble and focus on yourself.”

Chloé Dufour-Lapointe went through to the second round, but failed to make the top 6. This is her fourth Olympic appearance, having made her debut in Vancouver in 2010. She took home the silver medal in 2014 at Sochi.

The 2022 gold medal went to Australia's Jakara Anthony, while American Jaelin Kauf earned silver and Anastasiia Smirnova of the Russian Olympic Committee rounded out the podium.

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