Born on October 28, 1998, in Lavelanet, a small town in the French Pyrenees, Laffont has grown from a prodigiously talented youngster into one of the most decorated skiers in her sport’s history – a leader, an inspiration, and an athlete whose story is as compelling for its triumphs as for its challenges.
Early Career: A Prodigy on Skis
Perrine’s journey in freestyle skiing began early. She made her international debut at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics when she was just 15 years old – a rare accomplishment that pointed immediately to her extraordinary potential.
Even then, competing against seasoned veterans, she demonstrated a level of composure and technical skill that belied her age. While she didn’t medal in Sochi, the experience served as an early foundation for her development, giving her exposure to the pressures and dynamics of high‑level competition. What might have overwhelmed a typical teenager instead ignited a passion that would define her career.
Breakthrough: Champion at PyeongChang 2018
At the age of 19, Laffont reached one of the earliest pinnacles of her career. At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics – her second Olympic appearance – she skied brilliantly to claim gold in the women’s moguls event.
This achievement was historic on several fronts:
- She became the first French woman to win Olympic gold in moguls, securing France’s first medal in the event.
- She accomplished this on one of the sport’s biggest stages, confirming that her talent was not only real but world‑class.
- She did so at an age when many athletes were still establishing themselves, demonstrating her remarkable early maturity and competitive discipline.
Dominance Beyond the Olympics: World Cups and World Championships
While Olympic gold is often the most visible prize, Laffont’s sustained success comes from her consistency and versatility year after year. Over the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons, she won back‑to‑back overall FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup titles, cementing her dominance in moguls.
World Cup competition tests athletes across an entire season, with events in varying conditions and locations. Winning a World Cup title requires:
- Technical consistency
- Mental resilience
- Tactical awareness
- Physical endurance
Laffont mastered all of these.
More than that, she consistently racked up podiums — becoming one of the most reliable performers on tour. She has achieved over 30 World Cup victories and dozens of overall podium finishes, making her one of the most decorated competitors in the discipline.
World Championship Success: A Legacy in the Making
Arguably even more striking than her Olympic success is Laffont’s performance at the FIS Freestyle World Championships — the biennial competitions that bring together the very best from across the sport.
By 2025, she had accumulated a total of eight World Championship medals, six of them gold — a remarkable achievement that includes multiple titles in both moguls and dual moguls.
In 2025 at St. Moritz, Switzerland, Laffont won her third consecutive World Championship title in the individual moguls event, demonstrating that even after breaks from competition she could return at the highest level.
These titles weren’t mere additions to her résumé — they were emphatic statements that she was among the greatest ever to compete in her discipline. With each world title, she showed a blend of technical precision, flowing rhythm through the bumps, and powerful aerial skills that set her apart from her peers.
Her approach to competition — balancing aggression with control — has made her a feared and respected rival in every event she enters.
Periods of Pause and Comeback: A Human Story
Unlike many athletes whose careers follow a steady upward curve, Laffont’s path has been marked by thoughtful breaks and mindful recalibrations.
After dominating early in her career, she chose to take a break from competition in the 2023–24 season — a decision rooted in the need to manage both physical strain and mental pressure. Ceasing competition at the top of one’s game is rare, but in Laffont’s case it was an act of self‑preservation and renewal.
This hiatus makes her 2025 return all the more impressive. She didn’t merely compete; she returned to form, achieved World Championship gold, and reminded the world of her elite status. That comeback speaks to qualities that are often overlooked in sport:
- Self‑awareness
- Emotional intelligence
- Long-term vision
- Endurance beyond simply physical
Her ability to step back, regroup, and return stronger challenges the common narrative that success is strictly linear — instead underscoring that resilience and recovery are integral to lasting excellence.
Road to the 2026 Winter Olympics
The approach to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano‑Cortina was shaped by a combination of anticipation, preparation, and unexpected challenges.
As the Olympic season began, Laffont showed glimpses of her competitive form in World Cup events. In December 2025, she secured a strong second‑place finish in Ruka, Finland — an encouraging sign that she was poised for Olympic success.
However, that winter was far from smooth. In December 2025, Laffont suffered a knee injury — a bone bruise that forced her to miss competition for a stretch. The injury was not severe enough to compromise ligaments or the meniscus, but it did disrupt her training and racing rhythm at a crucial juncture.
In elite sport, particularly disciplines as physically demanding as moguls skiing, injuries can have outsized effects. They can disrupt confidence, timing, and momentum. Yet Laffont’s approach to this setback — disciplined rehabilitation focused on long-term performance rather than short-term gain — was emblematic of her maturity and commitment.
Olympic 2026: Triumph and Frustration
At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Laffont entered what would be her fourth Olympic Games — a testament to longevity and consistency at the highest level.
She delivered a performance that demonstrated both her deep skill and her resilience. Laffont secured a bronze medal in the women’s moguls event, finishing behind two American competitors — Elizabeth Lemley and Jaelin Kauf.
This Olympic podium finish was significant for several reasons:
- It added a second Olympic medal to her résumé, more than seven years after her gold in PyeongChang.
- It confirmed her ability to stay competitive even after injury and time away from racing.
- It underscored her return to elite competition after an interrupted season.
But the Games were not without frustration.
In the dual moguls event, Laffont competed fiercely but finished in fourth place, narrowly missing the podium after losing the small final by a razor-thin margin. According to detailed reports from the event, she was disappointed with aspects of her score — highlighting the sometimes opaque nature of judged sports.
The emotional weight of this moment — falling just short of another medal — also revealed Laffont’s deep competitive drive. Rather than diminishing her legacy, this near-miss added a human dimension to her story: she cared deeply, fought until the very end, and in the process showed that even the greatest athletes can feel the sting of disappointment.
Competing Style: The Art and Science of Moguls
At the heart of Perrine Laffont’s success is her skiing style — a blend of athleticism and artistry that consistently sets her apart.
Moguls skiing is perhaps one of the most demanding disciplines in winter sport. Competitors must navigate a course filled with closely spaced bumps (“moguls”) while maintaining speed, rhythm, and technical precision. They also execute aerial maneuvers — jumps that are judged for difficulty, execution, and landing control.
Laffont’s mastery of these elements comes from years of disciplined practice and an intuitive understanding of the sport’s demands. Her:
- Balance allows her to absorb moguls with efficiency.
- Technical precision ensures minimal loss of speed.
- Aerial control combines daring with reliability — rarely compromising one for the other.
This combination results not only in speed but in high quality runs that score well in the technical components of competition. Her skiing is not just effective — it is elegant, powerful, and rhythmically controlled — a combination that judges and fans alike have learned to respect.
Mental Strength and Character
While physical ability is observable, mental strength is something that emerges over time and through adversity – and few athletes showcase this as clearly as Laffont.
Her choice to step away from competition, her ability to return successfully, and her resilience in the face of injury and near-misses reflect a psychological makeup steeped in:
- Confidence
- Self-belief
- Patience
- Strategic long-term focus
Legacy and Influence
Perrine Laffont’s legacy is already cemented in the history of freestyle skiing. Her career achievements include:
- Olympic gold (2018) and bronze (2026) medals.
- Six World Championship gold medals, among multiple total medals.
- Numerous World Cup victories and overall titles.
- A reputation for consistency, courage, and competitive excellence, across more than a decade.
Beyond the statistics, Laffont’s influence extends into the cultural and psychological aspects of sport. She has embodied:
- The possibility of overcoming adversity
- The wisdom of strategic career management
- The blend of physical spectacle with disciplined preparation
- The idea that success is not always linear
The Knowledge Base 
Leave a comment