Australian skier, Laura Peel, has finished in second place in the World Cup aerials event in Deer Valley, USA.

Her fellow Australian Institute of Sport / Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship holder, Danielle Scott, finished in career best fourth place after making it all the way to the final round of four competitors.

In a mixed event for the Australians, 2010 Olympic champion Lydia Lassila had a tough day to place eighth. Sam Wells made it through to her first final 12 of the season but could go no further, finishing 12th.

In the men’s competition, David Morris finished 15th missing his landing slightly on his opening jump in the qualifying round.

The second placing was Peel’s first podium finish for the season.

She tried a new routine for her final jump – a full, double full (triple twisting double somersault) - but did not square up quickly enough on landing and lost valuable points.

Peel said after the event: “I was really pleased to land some clean jumps and do Full double Full in competition. It is only the fourth I have performed on snow, so to be second tonight, I am really happy.”

“It was great to have four of us (Australians) in the final 12 and even better to have both Dani and I in the last four.”

"I'm looking forward to the next round in Sochi on the 2014 Olympic site."

The season’s dominant aerialist, China’s Mengtao Xu, recorded her fourth win from five starts this season.

In other World Cup action, recently crowned dual World Champion, Alex “Chumpy” Pullin finished third in qualifying at the snowboard cross World Cup in Blue Mountain, Canada, with team mates, Cam Bolton, in fifth and Jarryd Hughes 24th.

In the women’s event, Belle Brockhoff was the 16th fastest qualifier, making it through to the final tomorrow. Torah Bright was 26th in her first FIS snowboard cross World Cup outing, missing the cut.

Results –  Women’s World Cup aerial skiing, Deer Valley, USA
1. Mengtao Xu (CHN), 2. Laura Peel (AUS), 3. Xin Zhang (CHN), 4. Dani Scott (AUST), 5. Tanja Schaerer (SUI), 6. Nadiya Didenko UKR), 8. Lydia Lassila (AUS), 12. Samantha Wells (AUS), 16. Renee McElduff (AUS).

Women’s Aerial skiing World Cup standings after 5 rounds
1. Mengtao Xu (CHN) 460, 2. Lydia Lassila (AUS) 296, 3. Yu Yang (CHN) 264, 4. Xin Zhang (CHN) 220, 5. Dani Scott (AUS) 205, 6. Laura Peel (AUS) 205, 14. Samantha Wells (AUS) 87, 15. Renee McElduff (AUS) 81.

Results – Men’s World Cup aerial skiing, Deer Valley, USA
1. Maxim Gustik (BLR), 2. Travis Gerrits (CAN), 3. Michael Rossi (USA), 4. Zongyang Jia (CHN), 5. Dylan Ferguson (USA), 6Alexei Grishin (BLR), 15. David Morris (AUS)

Men’s Aerial skiing World Cup standings after 5 rounds
1. Zongyang Jia (CHN) 390, 2. Travis Gerrits (CAN) 223, 3. Guangpu Qi (CHN) 221, 4. Dmitri Dashinski (BLR) 207, 5. David Morris (AUS) 200, 6. Maxim Gustik (BLR) 156.

Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWI)