Colorado's 'Lizard' skier wins gold, leads U.S. 1-2 in women's moguls

Elizabeth Lemley topped the Olympic moguls final, with teammate Jaelin Kauf taking silver.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Elizabeth Lemley, a 20-year-old freestyle skier from Vail, Colorado nicknamed 'Lizard', won gold in the women's moguls competition at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Lemley led a 1-2 finish for the United States, with Jaelin Kauf taking silver. Perrine Laffont of France won bronze.

Why it matters

Lemley's gold medal is the first for the U.S. in women's moguls since 2010, and the first-ever 1-2 finish for the American women's moguls team at the Olympics. This performance positions the U.S. as the team to beat in the event going into the next Winter Games.

The details

Lemley scored 82.30 points to top the eight-skier final, edging out teammate Kauf who scored 80.77 to defend her silver medal from the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Perrine Laffont of France, the 2018 champion, took bronze with 78.00 points. Lemley had to wait until the final run by defending champion Jakara Anthony of Australia to be sure of the gold, as Anthony's mistake halfway through her run sealed Lemley's victory.

  • Lemley won gold on Wednesday, February 12, 2026.
  • Kauf defended her silver medal from the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

The players

Elizabeth Lemley

A 20-year-old freestyle skier from Vail, Colorado nicknamed 'Lizard' who won gold in the women's moguls competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Jaelin Kauf

An American freestyle skier who won silver in the women's moguls, defending her medal from the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Perrine Laffont

A French freestyle skier who won bronze in the women's moguls, the 2018 champion in the event.

Jakara Anthony

An Australian freestyle skier who was the defending champion in women's moguls but made a mistake on her final run, sealing Lemley's gold medal victory.

Bryon Wilson

The U.S. moguls coach and a bronze medalist in men's moguls at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

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What they’re saying

“I started tearing up in my eyes. I was like, I can't believe this. I just became Olympic champion.”

— Elizabeth Lemley (The Associated Press)

“It's been a long time coming for this team to stand on top of the podium at the Olympic Games, since Hannah Kearney retired. So it's really cool to finally get that and to have one and two.”

— Jaelin Kauf (The Associated Press)

“Each woman on this team is capable of winning on any given day, and they have won in the past, and I think that just builds excellence. Each of them has their talents and their strengths. Jalen is incredibly fast. Lizard is an amazing jumper and just overall incredible talent. Olivia is also an incredible jumper, and Tess has the whole package.”

— Bryon Wilson, U.S. moguls coach (The Associated Press)

What’s next

The four American women - Lemley, Kauf, Olivia Giaccio, and Tess Johnson - will now compete in the dual moguls event in search of more medals for the U.S. team.

The takeaway

Elizabeth Lemley's gold medal and the U.S. women's 1-2 finish in moguls skiing marks a triumphant return to the top of the podium for the American team, which last won gold in the event in 2010. This performance establishes the U.S. as the team to beat in women's moguls going forward.