Cairns-born Jakara gets second shot

THE Winter Olympics start early for eight Australians, including Cairns-born Jakara Anthony, with qualifying for the men’s and women’s moguls taking place at Bokwang Phoenix Park before the opening ceremony.

Australian medal fancies Britt Cox and Matt Graham qualified for the moguls finals directly from the opening round of the event.

World champion Cox dialled back the tricks and scored 76.78 to come in sixth. Graham, a regular podium finisher on the World Cup tour, snuck in with a score of 77.28 to be ninth.

The top 10 skiers go directly into the finals, while the next 20 compete for another 10 places in the deciders.

Anthony finished 14th with a score of 69.49, and will join fellow Australians Madii Himbury (15th, 68.98) and Claudia Gueli (17th, 68.68) in the repechage tomorrow.

Men’s skiers Brodie Summers, Rohan Chapman-Davies and James Matheson will also enjoy a second chance on Monday.

Summers looks to have secured another chance despite not skiing yesterday.

His Games looked to have been over before they began after he appeared to injure his knee in a warm-up run.

But Australian chef de mission Ian Chesterman said the nature of the format meant that he would get another shot at qualifying for the finals on Monday if he was fit.

Summers, who sustained an ACL injury in September, was always up against it to be in peak condition for the Games.

He cut a disconsolate figure as he received treatment from team doctor Peter Braun yesterday.

He hobbled from the athletes’ area and left with his equipment.