Freestyle skier Jaelin Kauf won a silver medal in moguls on Wednesday at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy — her second career silver.
Kauf, who was raised in Alta, Wyoming, and U.S. teammate Liz Lemley made Olympic history by clinching the first-ever 1-2 finish in a women’s freestyle skiing event for the United States.
“It’s really cool to have another Olympic medal, to take silver home again,” Kauf told USA Today. “But, I mean, today I was really just trying to ski for myself today. This is the cherry on top.”
Kauf has been called the fastest woman on the moguls circuit. She clocked the fastest time in Wednesday’s women’s moguls competition at 24.88 seconds during one of her runs.
Kauf, 29, is the daughter of Scott Kaul and Patti Sherman-Kauf, professional mogul champions in the 1980s and ’90s.
“My mom has always been my biggest hero and role model, just watching how she’s just gone at life and done what she’s done, pushing the boundaries,” Kauf told CBS News ahead of the Games.
Growing Up Teton
Kauf learned to ski and develop her moguls style at Grand Targhee Resort, the local ski area above Alta.
The resort has a run named “Jaelin’s Silver” after her first Olympic silver medal, which she won at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Growing up in Teton County, Kauf enjoyed all-school ski days each Monday in winter.
“I was basically just ripping around with my friends up at the mountain in the afternoons in the winter, which I think is a pretty amazing program and opportunity to have as a kid,” she told Cowboy State Daily in December while in Ruka, Finland, competing in the World Cup Finals of Skiing.
“I got to skip school on big powder days to go skiing with my mom or dad. I definitely hit the jackpot with my parents.”
Kauf describes herself as an avid traveler who prefers experiences to possessions. Tech-savvy and focused on wellness, she loves to Zumba in her free time and catch up on TV sitcoms, especially old episodes of “Seinfeld,” a series she said she has watched seven times.
Plastered to Kauf’s helmet is her personal motto, “Deliver the Love.”
She said it serves as a reminder to keep the joy of skiing front and center in every competition.
She and Lemley will compete in the Olympic debut of Dual Moguls on Saturday.
Kate Meadows can be reached at kate@cowboystatedaily.com.
