Triple Olympian Matthew Graham returns to Europe in blistering form

After a week of soaking up the sun’s rays at balmy Byron Bay, New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Matt Graham will return to Europe’s sub-zero temperatures and the rough and tumble of the mogul course in blistering form.

Matt returned home for a short break after becoming the first Australian since 2007 to win two medals at a world championship after he secured silver in the moguls and bronze in the adrenaline-charged dual moguls at Bakuriani, Georgia.

The 29-year-old triple Olympian – who finished second at the PyeongChang Games in 2018 – said his recent triumphs had fuelled his fire for another Olympic campaign, while he also hoped it demonstrated to youngsters the value of setting lofty goals.

“I like to think I’m inspiring a lot of kids to go out and chase their dreams,” said Matt, who grew up on the central coast, a 550-kilometre drive away from the state’s snowfields.

“Obviously there’s no snow on the central coast; the closest mountain was Perisher – and that’s a six-hour drive away. So, I think I can pass on some inspiration to the younger generations; give back as much as I can.

“It’s been a whirlwind journey from being a young kid growing up on the coast to becoming an Olympic medallist and multiple time world championship medallist. It’s been quite the journey, but there’s been a lot of fun in the process.”

Matt described winning two medals at the 2023 FIS World Championships as “surreal”, before adding that becoming the first Aussie to do so since Dale Begg-Smith 16-years ago added extra lustre to his sense of achievement.

“To go back-to-back in any event – whether it’s a world cup or world championship – is really special, and a really cool thing to do,” he said. “And to be the first to do that since Dale Begg-Smith . . . well, that really hits home.

“I looked up to Dale growing up, so to follow in his footsteps in that regard is special.”

While Matt will return to Europe for the world cup finals in Almaty, Kazakhstan (March 17-20) in scintillating form, he told the Australian media he’s been competing with a fractured collarbone and will undergo a third surgery for it later this month.

It’s the same injury which frustrated his Beijing campaign, but rather than dwell on negatives, Matt is looking towards the 2026 Milano Cortina Games and the prospect of adding another two Olympic medals to his collection.

He’s welcomed the decision to include dual moguls in the Olympic program, revealing the silver medal he won in the dual moguls after winning gold in the moguls at the Deer Valley World Cup (in the USA) – along with his haul in Georgia – had galvanised his determination.

“There’s a lot more emphasis these days on the dual moguls, whereas, in the past, the single moguls were the Olympic discipline,” he said. “As a result [singles] was always my focus, while I treated the duals as a bit of an afterthought.

“Now it will really be about training more specifically for each discipline. In the past, I always concentrated on height because my training was heavily focussed on the singles, now I need to train more for the speed side of things because that’s what is needed to be competitive in the dual moguls.”

With two skiers racing head-to-head in the dual moguls – rather than racing the clock, as is the case in the single moguls – Matt said he expected spectators would enjoy the “dogfight” nature of the event.

“The biggest difference is the mentality of the whole thing,” he said. “Singles is about putting down a highly executed, as perfect as it can be, run. The dual is a dogfight. You’re in the gate getting yourself really hyped up and charge down the mogul course.

“You’re skiing side-by-side – you’re only a metre or two across from the person next to you – and you can see them. You really push each other, and it’s a dog fight to finish first. But, at the same time, you need to keep it as clean as possible and still put two jumps in there.”

During his break in Australia, Matt made time to train at the NSWIS gymnasium under the watchful eye of his strength and conditioning coach, Janina Strouts.

Besides his skill, willingness to work hard and ability to push himself, Janina said she appreciated another important component which gave Matt an edge.

“He is mentally resilient and tough,” she said of the athlete who has sent social media into meltdown by sharing clips of his training sessions. “That is what makes him a great competitor.”

Daniel Lane, NSWIS