That display left him down in the dumps and seeking external validation.
“After qualification one I had a pretty deep meeting with my sports psychologist and I just felt pretty lost as an athlete,” Woods said.
Cooper Woods reacts after winning the gold medal in the men’s freestyle moguls.Credit: Getty
“I felt like I skied my heart out in that Q1 and we actually talked about, ‘Oh, what happens if we turn it around in a couple of days?’ It’s crazy what has actually happened in a couple of days.
“I was pretty nervous up top on that last run. I kind of had a bit of a mentality to try to let it loose today and then I’m like, this is the final round and I’m dropping last; what’s going on here? My coach, Bobby Carroll, he dialled me in.
“I just want to shout out to everyone back in Australia; I hear you, we all hear you, the messages are coming through. I’m so happy and so proud to represent you guys on the big stage.”
Woods, who grew up on the NSW South Coast, made a strong sixth-placed finish in his Olympic debut four years ago and has credited former Wallabies captain John Eales – his mentor through the Sport Australia Hall of Fame scholarship program – for helping him refine his mental preparation for competition.
Gold medallist Cooper Woods of Team Australia celebrates with teammate Matt Graham.Credit: Getty Images
He has deep roots in the sport: both of his parents were part of the Australian aerials team during the 1990s, and he is the nephew of Peter Topalovic, who was the national moguls coach across the 2000s and 2010s.
Woods’ best finish this season was ninth place in Finland in December, but he managed to produce the goods on the biggest stage of them all, a day after hot favourite Jakara Anthony missed the podium in the women’s final.
Australia had three men in the final, with Graham coming fifth and Jackson Harvey eighth.
Loading
“Our team is sensational,” Woods said. “All our teammates, we all look out for one another and we spend so much time on the road together, so to put the trust on them, this is much their gold as it is mine.”
The bronze medal went to Japan’s Ikuma Horishima, who was the bronze medallist in this event at the last Winter Olympics and led the World Cup standings coming into these Games.
None of them are done yet. Dual moguls is making its Olympic debut this year and all three of them, as well as George Murphy, who did not make the final, will compete again, as will the women’s skiers, including Anthony, Charlotte Wilson and Emma Bosco.
The Winter Olympic Games is broadcast on the 9Network, 9Now and Stan Sport.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
