Olympian celebrates his ton in the most Aussie way possible on the snow-capped mountains of Finland
- Won a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics
- 100th participation in World Cup events
- Honored the milestone in the Australian way
Ski champion Matt Graham has celebrated his 100th World Cup start in the most Australian way possible, by triumphantly raising a cricket bat.
The Australian Olympian achieved the milestone in Ruka, Finland, away from the MCG or the Adelaide Oval, where the Australian Test team will compete against India on Friday.
So in true Australian fashion, he brought along a Kookaburra bat, wrote ‘Matt Graham 100 World Cup starts’ on it and signed it for good measure.
He was joined by friends, family and teammates, along with a giant Australian flag as he raised the bat to celebrate his ton.
The boy from Gosford, who originally wanted to be an Olympic sailor, has made a habit of dramatic celebrations.
In 2018, when he claimed Australia’s first medal at the Winter Olympics in the moguls, he refused to get emotional and instead delivered a classic film reference.
Aussie Olympic moguls 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 2023 FIS Freestyle Skiing World Championships
“No, blue steel mate, blue steel,” he said, referring to comedian Ben Stiller’s Zoolander character.
‘There will certainly be no tears. I can’t remember the last time I cried. I will enjoy it. I can’t wait to have that thing around my neck.
‘I was just having fun, I felt loose. I was skiing on a different line than most and it was still fun.
“Many difficult years have come to fruition tonight.”
Graham started skiing at the Perisher Winter Sports Club at the age of six and made his World Cup debut at the age of 15, finishing 27th in Deer Valley, USA.
At the 2013 World Championships in Voss, Norway, Graham took a remarkable fourth place.
He made his Olympic debut at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, finishing seventh among the men’s tycoons.
In 2015, Graham secured his first World Cup podium with a silver medal in Deer Valley. The following year he achieved his first World Cup victory in Calgary, Canada.
Graham has had to overcome injury to return to the top of his sport after suffering a broken collarbone in training
At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Graham won a silver medal in the men’s tycoons, marking Australia’s 13th Winter Olympics. He continued his success with a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships in Utah.
In the 2020-2021 season, Graham won the Crystal Globe World Cup as the top-ranked mogul skier. He added another silver at the 2021 World Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Graham suffered a setback in December 2021, breaking his collarbone during training in Idre Fjäll, Sweden. Despite the injury, he took part in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but did not progress beyond the qualifying rounds.
In February 2023, Graham won World Championship gold in Deer Valley, USA, his first since 2017. He also earned double medals – silver in the boxers and bronze in the doubles – at the 2023 World Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia.
Graham finished the 2022-2023 season in second place overall among the World Cup magnates. Throughout his career he has collected multiple World Cup podiums and remains a leading figure in Australian winter sports.