- Won silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics
- He achieved his 100th appearance in World Cup events.
- Australian fashion milestone honored
Ski champion Matt Graham celebrated his 100th World Cup appearance in the most Australian way possible, raising a cricket bat in triumph.
The Australian Olympian achieved the milestone in Ruka, Finland, a far cry from the MCG or the Adelaide Oval where the Australian Test team will take on India on Friday.
So, in true Australian style, he brought a Kookaburra bat, wrote “Matt Graham 100 World Cup starts” on it and signed it just in case.
He was joined by friends, family and teammates along with a giant Australian flag as he raised his bat in celebration of his ton.
The Gosford boy, who originally wanted to be an Olympic sailor, has taken to dramatic celebrations.
In 2018, when he claimed Australia’s first Winter Olympics medal in the moguls, he refused to get emotional and instead delivered a reference to a classic film.
Australian Olympic ski champion Matt Graham raises a cricket bat in honor of his 100th World Cup event
Graham even wrote his own inscription on the Kookaburra bat and signed it himself.
Graham with the silver medal he won at the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships in 2023
“No, fellow blue steel, blue steel,” he said, referring to comedian Ben Stiller’s Zoolander character.
‘There will definitely be no tears. I don’t remember the last time I cried. I will enjoy it. I can’t wait to have that thing around my neck.
‘I was having fun and felt relaxed. He was skiing a different line than most and held up well.
“Tonight many difficult years have come true.”
Graham started skiing at the age of six at Perisher Winter Sports Club and made his World Cup debut at 15, placing 27th in Deer Valley, USA.
At the 2013 World Championships in Voss, Norway, Graham achieved a remarkable fourth place finish.
He made his Olympic debut at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, finishing seventh in men’s moguls.
In 2015, Graham earned his first World Cup podium with a silver medal in Deer Valley. The following year, he earned his first World Cup victory in Calgary, Canada.
Graham has had to overcome an injury setback to return to the top of his sport after a broken collarbone suffered in training
At the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, Graham won a silver medal in men’s moguls, marking Australia’s 13th Winter Olympic medal. He continued his success with a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships in Utah.
In the 2020-2021 season, Graham won the World Cup Crystal Globe as the highest-ranked mogul skier. He added another silver at the 2021 World Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Graham faced a setback in December 2021, breaking his collarbone during training in Idre Fjäll, Sweden. Despite the injury, he competed at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but did not make it past the qualifying rounds.
In February 2023, Graham won a gold medal at the World Cup in Deer Valley, USA, her first since 2017. She also earned two medals (silver in moguls and bronze in double moguls) at the 2023 World Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia.
Graham concluded the 2022-2023 season in second place overall in the World Cup mogul standings. Throughout his career he has achieved multiple World Cup podiums and remains a leading figure in Australian winter sports.