'I'm just so sad': Australian finalist's beautiful gesture as aerials team rallies around injured star Laura Peel
LIVIGNO: Laura Peel may not have been competing in the aerials at the Olympic Games but her impact on the Australian team was obvious, with finalist Abbey Willcox dedicating her performance to the superstar by scrawling a simple message on her glove.
Peel was considered one of Australia's top gold medal chances in the lead-up to Milano Cortina 2026 but her dream of stepping onto the top of the podium at her fourth Games was cruelly ended when she ruptured her ACL in a training camp on February 3.
The 36-year-old was given every chance by the Australian team to rehab her knee in an effort to compete in Livigno, but she withdrew on the eve of competition, leaving the entire aerials team heartbroken.
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Peel was at the aerials course to watch her fellow veteran Danielle Scott win a silver medal with an outstanding performance, with Scott, Willcox and the other two Australians to compete all paying tribute to their injured team leader.
Abbey Wilcox shows her message for injured Australian teammate Laura Peel on her glove. Nine
Willcox scribbled 'Laura' on her right glove, with a love heart drawn beneath.
"She's such a special person in our team and I'm just so sad that she's not out here with us, so there's not much I can do about her ACL, but just show some support, and she's such a great person," Willcox told Australian media, including Wide World of Sports, after qualifying for the final in ninth.
"She's a great teammate and a great human."
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Abbey Willcox holds her hands up to display her message of support for teammate Laura Peel. Nine
Sidney Stephens, who got a last-minute call-up to replace Peel, gave an excellent performance at her debut Games, landing both of her jumps in qualification to finish 15th, just three spots short of qualifying for the final, with a best score of 75.11.
"It's been really difficult. I think there's been a lot of up and down emotions obviously," Stephens said after her second jump.
"Everyone wanted to see Laura up here today and it's been really difficult because Laura's been one of the best jumpers out there but probably even moreso an amazing human. She's been a great teammate and a great leader for all of us."
Scott, who is one year Peel's junior and has been competing with her for more than a decade, admitted she had felt the pressure of taking on the mantle as the team leader in the Australian team after Peel's withdrawal.
However, she responded to the pressure in the best possible way, landing the highest-scoring jump of the competition with an immaculate 117.19 in the first final, before backing it up with a 102.17 in the super final to clinch silver - her first Olympic medal at her fourth Games.
"Definitely, yes, you know, Laura's been such a fierce competitor and then it felt like all the weight was on my shoulders," Scott said after the medal presentation.
"I knew I could do it, it wasn't even a doubt, but I didn't want to let my team in Australia down, so I'm so happy that I could walk away with this medal for them."
She added that she had been "heartbroken" for Peel.
Laura Peel. Getty
"I saw her this morning, after the first round of qualifying, and she's our biggest fan, but it's heartbreaking."
While there was a lot of love for Peel and each member of the Australian team performed admirably, there was a tinge of regret in the voice of Airleigh Frigo as a 22nd-placed finish sunk in.
Frigo was in tears as she came to terms with her first two jumps at an Olympic Games, admitting she was hoping for a better performance.
"I feel really proud to be here. Obviously it wasn't quite the performance I wanted but I'm here, my family's here and I gave it my all," she said.
"I wanted a bit more out of today but I've got to look at where I've come from and where I started and just where I was four years ago at the start of this cycle. This was always the main goal, was to get here, so I am happy."
