Laura Peel

Born in 1989 in Canberra, Laura Peel possesses a background in both skiing and gymnastics, which created a strong foundation for her career in aerials. She was identified as a potential talent in 2007 by Jacqui Cooper, a notable figure in the sport. Four years later, Peel debuted on the World Cup circuit. Her initial performances included a top-12 finish, and she subsequently competed in her first World Championships in Deer Valley, USA, placing 11th. The following season marked a significant milestone as she achieved her first World Cup victory, becoming the fifth Australian female to do so in aerial skiing. Her consistent high-level performances led her to secure a second-place finish at the Sochi Olympic test event in 2013 and her Olympic debut at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, where she finished 7th.

Laura Peel’s career advanced significantly in 2015 when she claimed her first World Championship title in Kreischberg, Austria, narrowly defeating Kiley McKinnon. After overcoming an injury that caused her to miss a season, Peel returned strong in 2016-17, earning a bronze medal in Moscow, Russia, and an 8th-place finish at her third World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain. Leading up to her second Olympic Games in PyeongChang 2018, she secured back-to-back podium finishes in Lake Placid, USA. At the PyeongChang Games, she was the highest-placed Australian in women’s aerials, finishing fifth after an attempted back double full-full in the super final. The 2018-19 season saw her claim a second World Cup victory and finish ranked third globally.

The 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons were particularly successful for Peel. She introduced triple back somersaults into competition, securing four World Cup medals, including two victories, and earned the Crystal Globe as the number one ranked aerial skier in the world. She continued this dominance in the 2020-21 season with another four World Cup medals, two of which were gold, and her second consecutive Crystal Globe. In 2021, she won her second World Championships gold medal, becoming Australia’s first aerial skiing double world champion. On the eve of the Beijing 2022 Olympics, Peel achieved one of the best jumps in women’s aerials history at the Deer Valley Aerials World Cup, scoring 118.05 points with a near-perfect full-full-full triple. She also became the third woman to land a quadruple twisting backflip on snow. At the Beijing 2022 Olympics, she co-led the Australian Opening Ceremony as flag bearer and finished fifth in the aerials final after qualifying with the highest score.