News | Sports
22 Feb 2026 6:48
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Sports

    Cooper Woods welcomed to the Winter Olympic 'gold medal club' by Alisa Camplin-Warner

    Only seven Australian athletes have ever felt the weight of a Winter Olympic gold medal being hung around their necks. And one of the first, Alisa Camplin-Warner, was thrilled to welcome the most recent, Cooper Woods, to the club.


    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.

    "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 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."

    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."

     

     


    ABC




    © 2026 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

     Other Sports News
     21 Feb: It's a Super Rugby "rinse and repeat' moment for Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph
     21 Feb: 28 years after their inception, the Northern Districts women's cricket team have won their first national title in any format
     21 Feb: One of the best players in the game is likely to miss the start of the NRL season
     21 Feb: To the women's one day cricket final at the Basin Reserve
     21 Feb: Tiaan Whelpton's made a resounding statement at the International Track Meet in Christchurch
     21 Feb: Lydia Ko's preparing to go low ahead of the third round of the latest LPGA Tour event in Thailand
     21 Feb: Eileen Gu calls Australian teen Indra Brown 'the real deal' ahead of 2026 Winter Olympics freeski halfpipe final
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    It's a Super Rugby "rinse and repeat' moment for Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Two dogs have been impounded by Christchurch Council Animal Management officers and three people are in hospital after an attack in the North West More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Logan Paul would "love" to wrestle Bad Bunny 6:47

    Entertainment:
    Jax Taylor is "the healthiest he's ever been" 6:17

    Auckland:
    A e-bike rider is in hospital after crashing in central Auckland this evening 21:56

    Entertainment:
    Hilary Duff "just felt really ready to share" when she returned to the music business 21:47

    Entertainment:
    Zendaya has learned that "so much of life is loss" 21:17

    Auckland:
    A car has flipped after hitting a parked car in Auckland's Hillsborough this evening 21:16

    International:
    I had a miscarriage over the summer. It was nothing like I expected 21:07

    Entertainment:
    Jelly Roll found reading Bunnie Xo's memoir to be "rough at times" 20:47

    Entertainment:
    Henry Winkler has hailed Ron Howard as "one of the best acting partners" of his career 20:17

    Entertainment:
    Shia LaBeouf has addressed his Mardi Gras arrest with a brief social media message hours after being released from jail 19:47


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd