Mikael Kingsbury from Quebec watches the scoreboard after his final ski during finals in the 2012 Canada Post Grand Prix Freestyle Ski World Cup in Calgary on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012.Chris Bolin/The Canadian Press
Mikael Kingsbury's quest for a berth in the 2014 Sochi Olympics is off to an impressive start.
The moguls skier from Deux-Montagnes, Que., won gold in the men's moguls competition Thursday at a World Cup event.
The competition was the first of five that will determine Canada's team for the Olympics.
"I'm on the right track to qualify for the Games," Kingsbury said. "Every time there's a World Cup that counts for the Olympics I'm going to be at my best."
Kingsbury won with a score of 27.05, his personal best on the Lake Placid course, and held on to the yellow bib as the FIS points leader for men's moguls.
Parick Deneen took the silver with a score of 25.71 and fellow American Dylan Walczyk earned bronze with a 23.57 total.
Olympic champion Alex Bilodeau fell in the last section of the final run and finished fifth at 19.77.
"I need to adjust a few things for next week in Calgary," said the Rosemere, Que. native.
Kingsbury has had success at Lake Placid in the past, winning at the course last year and finishing second two years ago.
He hopes to keep his momentum going at next week's World Cup event in Calgary, where he also won last year.
Kingsbury said he is accustomed to the hard moguls found on North American courses.
"They're the moguls that I learned to ski on," he said. "I learned to ski at Mont Saint-Sauveur in Quebec, and we don't get a lot of snow. We get the fake snow, it's always icy.
"I think I'm good at every kind of course, but in North America I always do well."
In women's action, Olympic champion Hannah Kearney of the U.S. won gold with a score of 23.53. Nicola Sudova of the Czech Republic was second at 22.36 and Britney Cox of Australia third at 21.62.
Montreal's Chloe Dufour-Lapointe was fourth with a score of 16.63, while sister Justine was sixth with no score in the final run.