A "very quiet, shy girl who loved skiing" has become Australia's greatest Winter Olympian after Jakara Anthony rebounded from devastation to make history at the Milan-Cortina Games.
Anthony became the first Australian athlete ever to annex two Winter Games gold medals, clinching the first-ever dual moguls title amid a Livigno snowfall on Saturday.
It made it the best Winter Olympics in Australia's sporting history and sealed a glorious comeback after Anthony's heartbreak earlier in the week.
She had entered the new event to the Olympic program with steely determination after failing to defend her Beijing title in the individual when she crossed her skis during her medal round run just three days earlier.
Anthony admitted she had some self-doubt following the shattering result, when she finished eighth after appearing to be destined for back-to-back titles.
"I was doubting myself a bit this morning after what happened the other day," she said.
"That was really heartbreaking, the singles. I came in here with such a great chance of taking home that top step, but elite sport, you know, it's hundredths of a second, and one little mistake, and it was all over.
"To be able to turn that around with the help of my support crew around me, has been a pretty massive feat, I think, and makes this medal even more special."
Anthony swept through the early rounds in ruthless fashion and then downed three Americans in a row, including singles champion Elizabeth Lemley in the semi-finals.
With skiers racing side by side down the course and judged on turns, jumps and speed in difficult conditions as the snow tumbled down, the Victorian overcame American Jaelin Kauf in the big final to take the crown.
Judges awarded Anthony the victory, scoring 20 points to 15.
It was Kauf's second silver medal of the Games while Lemley also bagged her second gong, pipping France's Perrine Laffont in the small final to claim bronze.
Pete McNeil has been Anthony's full-time coach since she was 15 and met her three years earlier and said that even back then he saw something special in the girl from the Victorian surf coast.
Also overseeing Cooper Woods's shock moguls title win, McNeil has also become Australia's most successful winter coach.
"She was very quiet, shy, loved skiing, not necessarily just mogul skiing, all skiing," McNeil explained after Anthony's victory.
"Just the way she stood on her skis and moved and I was like, 'that girl, there's something about the way she skis that I think she could be great' ... and now we're here."
McNeil said he reassured Anthony that she still had what it took to win dual gold and that she shouldn't be defined by one bad run.
"I put my hand on her heart and say, 'it's all within you and one run isn't a reflection of your ability'.
"To be able to come back and perform at the highest level of the sport when you've been so drained, it's an absolute reflection of the work she's done to be able to have that kind of resolve, as well, the people around her - our team, the Australian team, they just have so much support for her."
In Australia's greatest Winter Games, Anthony has joined Woods and snowboard cross racer Josie Baff as Olympic champions in Italy while Scotty James was edged into a silver medal in the men's snowboard halfpipe.
"For it to be the first ever dual moguls gold medal at the Olympics given out, to be the first Australian to have two gold medals, to have been able to overcome the adversity of the other day and bounce back and put down that performance," reflected three-time Olympian Anthony.
"We were saying in the lead up, this is probably our best team yet, and we were expecting big things these Games, and I think the whole team's delivered across the board."
