Kotovskyi in Lac‑Beauport: "Uragan" gave Ukraine the lead at the World Cup
Dmytro Kotovskyi won the third stage at Lac‑Beauport — a trademark "Hurricane" jump and a score of 131.56 points put him atop the overall standings. Why this victory matters for Ukrainian freestyle skiing and what the consequences are for the national team.
By Tetiana Suchkova-Ladik
January 7, 2026 · 1 min read
Victory and technique
Ukrainian Dmytro Kotovskyi won gold at the third stage of the Freestyle Skiing World Cup in Lac-Beauport, the NOC of Ukraine and UNN reported. In the final he performed his signature jump "Uragan" — a triple somersault with five twists (full-triple full-full) — and received 131.56 points for a perfect landing.
"Lac-Beauport proved 'golden' for Ukrainian freestyler Dmytro Kotovskyi, who in the final landed the most difficult jump in aerials — 'Uragan'."
— NOC of Ukraine
Kotovskyi won the qualification with the best score, and in the final, advancing from third place to the superfinal, posted the highest mark among the competitors. According to the official FIS protocols, the 131.56-point result earned him not only the stage's gold medal but also first place in the overall World Cup standings.
What this means for the national team
For Dmytro, this is his third victory at World Cup stages and his first since 2023; overall he has nine podiums at stages, seven of which are individual. This is already the second gold for the Ukrainian men's team this season after Oleksandr Okipnyuk's success in Ruka (Finland).
Context and consequences: the technical difficulty of the "Uragan" and the consistency of its execution demonstrate the high level of preparation by the athlete and the coaching staff. For Ukrainian freestyle, such a victory is not just another medal in the trophy cabinet but also an argument for potential partners and sponsors: investments in infrastructure and training yield tangible results on the international stage. The next stages will begin soon — the question is whether Kotovskyi will be able to maintain his lead; for now he is giving the team a clear impetus to move forward.
