Tess Johnson wins dual moguls silver medal at FIS World Freestyle Ski Championships
The Vail-born star claimed her second global medal on Friday in St. Moritz.
Rudi Garmisch/FIS
Tess Johnson capped off a career year in the sweetest way possible on Friday in Switzerland.
The Vail mogul star skied to silver at the FIS World Freestyle Championships in St. Moritz, finishing runner-up to teammate and fellow Coloradan, Jaelin Kauf, in the big final.
“It’s incredibly special,” Johnson said after claiming her second-career global medal. The 24-year-old also won a bronze in the 2019 dual event in Deer Valley. “Just to end this incredibly long, albeit successful, exhausting season on this high of a note is incredible.”
Kauf, who swept all three (moguls, dual moguls, overall) crystal globes, overcame a slip up after her top air to win the gold. Anastassiya Gorodko spoiled the American sweep, defeating Kylie Kariotis in the small final to round out the podium.
“She definitely has more podiums in her future,” Johnson said of Kariotis. “And we definitely have more sweeps in our future. It was just a really exciting day for Team USA and a great comeback from a bit of a disappointed singles day.”
Support Local Journalism
In Wednesday’s individual mogul event, Kauf qualified first but could only manage eighth as Perrine Laffont captured her third-straight world championship gold in the event. Johnson placed 12th.
On Friday, the Vail skier went up against Laffont, the defending duals champion, in the quarterfinals. Johnson didn’t win the speed dual against the 24-time World Cup winner — some nice bottom-air amplitude on her signature venom grab lost additional time — but came away with the 18-17 victory nonetheless. As the scores populated the screen, a seemingly shocked Johnson put her hands up to her face.
“It’s always an honor to dual Perrine,” Johnson said. “Yeah, really, really exciting when that score came through and it gave me the confidence to take it all the way to the gold medal round.”
Johnson dispatched Gorodko 19-16 in the semifinals as Kauf defeated Kariotis 23-12 on the other side of the bracket to set up a final between two Vail-born skiers.
“Dualing Jaelin at the end — I know she’s just the fastest skier in the world, there’s no doubt about that,” Johnson said. “I was just trying to stay clean and make it down.”
Kauf bolted out of the gate, but her skis came apart after a shaky top-air landing. Despite getting thrown off course, the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club alumna made it to the finish of the 215-meter Alp Giop course 1.82 seconds ahead of her teammate. While Johnson said she saw the slip at the top of the course, she didn’t have time to diagnose it as a potential open door.
“In duals, anything can happen, and I just stuck to my run, stayed clean — probably could have skied a little faster — but Jaelin is incredibly deserving of that win and I’m really, really proud of her,” she said. “Singles day didn’t really go my way, so I’m really proud of myself for digging deep, beating the fatigue (and) beating any of the doubts that may have crept in to ultimately earn that silver medal.”
“It feels amazing,” Kauf told FIS media after the win. “Especially after singles, it’s a bit of redemption here. It’s been an awesome day.”
Spectacular end to a special season
Coming off spinal surgery in April of 2023, Johnson’s seventh-place finish in the overall cup standings last season was impressive. The Ski and Snowboard Club Vail alumna took it to another level in 2024-25.
Johnson kicked off her ninth-career World Cup campaign with a fifth in Ruka and a sixth in Idre Fjall before closing off December with another top-5 in Bakuriani. The World Cup’s North American swing started slow, but when Johnson returned to Deer Valley in February, she made the most of another opportunity on the Champion run, taking fourth in both moguls and dual moguls.
But Johnson was just getting started.
She claimed her first podium in two years in Beidahu, China on Feb. 22, then won her second-career World Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan a week later. She came to Switzerland with serious momentum after securing another podium in the individual event — on what was her 100th-career start — in Livigno on March 11. The incessant travel, however, combined with the scheduling of worlds at the end of the season, posed perhaps the stiffest stamina test in Johnson’s career.
“Just staying consistent and sticking to routines even through extreme fatigue and you know crazy travel days — just to end on this high note is amazing,” she said.
The best part of Friday? Family. Johnson’s parents decided a month ago to fly out to St. Moritz.
“I’m just so, so grateful that they were able to be there. We had an amazing week and I think they really enjoyed watching me ski and to share that success of the silver medal with them was incredible,” Johnson said. “That’s really why I do this is the people around me and the people to share this journey with. Just really grateful and happy with the season.”
The 2018 Olympian is ready for a couple weeks off before revving up again in April as she takes another run at the quadrennial event next year.
“And obviously,” she said. “Big things coming ahead next season.”
