The King has restored Olympic order for Canada.
Mikael Kingsbury has given Canada its first gold medal at Milano Cortina 2026 with a win on Day 9 in the Olympic debut of men's dual moguls.
The most decorated moguls skier of all-time, Kingsbury, 33, won silver earlier in the Olympics in the men's event when he lost a turns-score tiebreaker to Australia's Cooper Woods after the two finished with the same score.
"I read online a lot of comments that the Canadians, we were a little cursed here in Italy. I really wanted to break that curse and go get that first (gold) medal for the country," Kingsbury told CBC Olympics. "I'm very proud. I do this sport for myself first, but I'm very happy to share this with the country I love the most."
Sunday's triumph, potentially Kingsbury's final competitive apperance, marks his fifth career Winter Games medal (two gold, three silver) in as many events.
Kingsbury, from Deux-Montagnes, Que., beat longtime rival Ikuma Horishima in the final as the Japanese skier missed the final jump.
A jubilant Kingsbury slid as he crossed the finish line and pounded the snow with his fist in celebration.
Soon after, he embraced his partner Laurence Mongeon and their young son Henrik.
An emotional later Kingsbury sang "O Canada" atop the podium.
"I just remembered the eight-year-old me that (watched) the Olympics for the first time in 2002 and dreamt of being an Olympic champion," Kingsbury said of what he was thinking on the podium. "I got to do it in 2018, got close in 2022 again in the singles also. Today, I just gave everything I had. The last energy, the last gasp I had in the tank to go get it."
Canada now has nine medals at these Olympics — one gold, three silver, five bronze.
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Kingsbury, one of Canada's flag-bearers at the opening ceremony, lived up to his favoured status in dual moguls. He had won gold in the event at the past four world championships.
Kingsbury also has 100 career World Cup wins and nine overall world championship golds, but it's this event that he'll remember long after his career ends.
"I just trusted all the work I've put in with my team throughout all the years and skied with no regrets," he said. "I knew at the top (before the final) I had a medal, so I was just like 'Go. Go get the gold this time."
