Cooper Woods is the seventh ever Australian to be crowned a Winter Olympic champion.
And one of the first people to welcome him to one of the most exclusive clubs in Australian sport was the first woman to join it, Alisa Camplin-Warner.
“Cooper Woods, welcome to the gold medal club, number seven. Number seven. Oh my gosh,” she said.
Australia’s chef de mission was ecstatic at seeing Australia win its first Winter Olympic medal of her tenure, and couldn’t have been prouder to be there alongside hundreds of other Australian supporters to witness it at the Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park on Thursday.
“Honestly, magic played out for Cooper Woods today,” Camplin-Warner said.
“But the whole team, we had three men in the super final. Outstanding.
A win for one is a win for all in this moguls squad. (Getty Images: Michael Reaves)
“Off the back of two women yesterday and our rookie Emma [Bosco] doing the best run she’s ever done.
“The [moguls] program, the level of excellence, it was just so special to watch.”
Australia’s 2026 Winter Olympics has had a tough start and few have born the disappointment more than Camplin-Warner.
The two-time Olympic medallist, who won gold in 2002 and bronze in 2006 in the aerials, has had to oversee two athletes leave the Games as a result of injury in Cameron Bolton and Misaki Vaughan, while dealing with a huge injury cloud over two others in medal hope Laura Peel and Daisy Thomas.
Then, gold medal favourite Jakara Anthony slid out of contention in the women’s moguls final to further delay the awarding of Australia’s first medal.
But the relatively unheralded Woods delivered a stunning display of moguls skiing to claim a first gold medal for the team.
Cooper Woods was absolutely sublime. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
“Cooper did three perfect runs,” Camplin-Warner said.
“The judges were all over perfection, no mistakes, and he was flawless for three runs in a row.
“I can’t tell you how hard it is to be that consistent.
“He’s never been in the last position to go, let alone [at an] Olympic Games.
“[He had] The weight of the world [on his shoulders] and he delivered the best possible run he could.
“It’s mind-blowing, like breathtaking.
“I shared tears with him. He’s pinching himself and rightly on cloud nine.”
Camplin-Warner said watching the final run was “really hard”, especially knowing what Canadian legend Mikaël Kingsbury had produced to move into gold medal position.
“You kind of go in sections,” she said.
“You watch them get to the top jump on the video, you turn your eyes, you watch them land — he did a great landing — he’s coming through, he’s looking powerful, he’s looking in command.
“And then he finishes the run … and it was just like, oh my God, I’m so excited.
“And then it was this wait.
“Everyone was just so proud because that moment where you know there’s nothing more you could do and you’re just in the hands of the judges.
“And it’s just the time and the time and the time and watching the video replay was reaffirming how excellent his run was.”
Cooper Woods always rises to the occasion. (Getty Images: David Ramos)
Camplin-Warner said Cooper’s reaction when it was confirmed that he finished number one was one of utter shock and surprise.
But one of complete affirmation and a welcome change from yesterday’s shock.
“This is a massive 24 hours for this team, right?” Camplin-Warner said.
“Everyone’s just trying to pull it all together, but it was magic and that’s why I think everyone feels so great.”
Woods has never won a FIS World Cup race leading into this Olympic Games, with just one podium to his name.
But Camplin-Warner praised him as being a man who clearly rises to the biggest occasion, following from his sixth-placed finish in Beijing.
“Cooper’s always been a man that lives for the occasion,” she said.
“We saw him do that in Beijing.
“He was so affirmed within himself after his Q2 run.
“He talked about the pressure and how he delivered under pressure and I think he bumps off confidence and that assured him that he knew that he could stand up under the pressure.
“And then he did it again. And then he did it again.
“There wasn’t another man in the field that was flawless. Some people had a couple of harder jumps but nobody else was flawless.
“So hats off to Cooper Woods.”
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