USA’s Kauf wins silver, Lemley bronze in Olympic dual moguls debut

Elizabeth Lemly (L) and Olivia Giaggio, hugging their friends and family event spectators after placing top ten in the Milan Cortina Olympics for Womens Dual Moguls. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

CORTINA, Italy — USA’s Jaelin Kauf won the silver medal and Elizabeth Lemly the bronze in the womens dual moguls at the Milan Cortina Olympics. The gold went to Australia’s Jakara Anthony in the event’s Olympic debut.

Lemley won the gold and Kauf the silver days earlier in the singles moguls. After the doubles, Lemly, who famously does not go out on any town, was seen crowd surfing among revelers.

All four Americans finished in the top ten with Tess Johnson and Olivia Giaccio placing fifth and sixth, respectively, in the quarter finals. 

Steadily streaming snowflakes didn’t dampen the women’s runs, despite there being no course maintenance between heats. None of the Americans had to face each other on the hill as their seedings were very high coming into this event. 

At the press conference following the competition, TownLift asked Kauf about the 2034 Olympics, “I’m so excited for the future of this sport in the Olympic Games. It was incredibly exciting to be a part of its debut today, and I probably won’t be there in four years or eight years on the field, but extremely excited to continue to watch the progression of this sport, and hopefully it just, you know continues to take on the Olympic stage by storm and will continue to fall more and more in love with it.” The Wyoming native skis for the Grand Targhee Ski Foundation, attends the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and is a three-time Olympian.

In the stands, the now easily-recognizable “J”s were omnipresent symbolizing the multitudes of Jaelin Kauf fans.

At the same press conference Lemly spoke to reporters about the conditions, “It was worse visibility than singles day, but we’ve all had to deal with that before so we just made the best of it.” 

Johnson, a Colorado native now living in Salt Lake City and competing in her second Olympics, told Utah reporters in the finish area, “It did kind of feel like Deer Valley World Cup at the top, in the gate. I felt the crowd in my stomach. I heard chanting ‘USA.’ I think my family was saying, ‘U Tess A,’ which is adorable.” She is attending the Harvard University Extension and majoring in psychology.  

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Giaggio said, “It was very similar to our World Cup in Deer Valley, which is awesome every year to be skiing at home, have friends and family there, and it’s just really, really special to be able to share this moment with the people who helped to get me here. I’m very, very grateful.” She skis for the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, is a two-time Olympian, and lives in Salt Lake City.