The enormity of what Cooper Woods accomplished doesn’t seem to have settled in yet.
It won’t be possible for a while.
Over and over again, Australia’s newest Olympic champion stared at his medal in disbelief, testing its weight, enjoying its color and absorbing the impact of the Olympic rings standing proudly at its center.
Whether he’s in the middle of a press conference or walking from one media occasion to the next, Woods can’t stop feeling and seeing his latest acquisition.
The giddy joy of his accomplishment is not only reassuring; That’s an affirmation.
Cooper Woods won Australia’s first gold medal at the 2026 Olympics. (ABC Sports: Hamish Harty)
It’s a dream of so many and achieved by so few, but it has been realized in dramatic fashion by this 25-year-old from the Far South Coast.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Woods told the media and a rapidly growing crowd of fans on the streets of Livigno on Thursday night.
“As I’ve said several times today, this medal isn’t just for me, it’s for everyone else who has been a part of this journey and who has helped me achieve this major milestone in my career.
“It’s been a crazy journey, but I can’t believe I’m here.”
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The hours after winning an Olympic medal can be a blur for athletes.
Moving quickly from the podium to the mixed zone to the press conference to the studio and then back to the press conference demands more attention and more time.
But Woods has always taken time to interact with supporters wherever he goes, leading cheering squads of hundreds of people in Livigno after the Winter Olympics, dangling from car doors and always clutching his medal tightly.
You’d be hard-pressed to find an athlete as down-to-earth as Woods.
When ABC Sports interviewed Woods with 100 days left until the tournament, he pointed out that Livigno has a great après-ski culture and that he was looking forward to sharing it with us.
Relaxed. fun. Live in the moment and enjoy every moment. That’s Woods from the tee.
Woods made Australian Olympic history in Livigno. (Getty Images: Ian McNicol)
But in recent years, he said guidance from sports psychologists and Wallabies great John Eales had helped him make another discovery.
“Essentially, I was just looking for purpose,” he said.
“A sense of discipline.
“Today I was disciplined in my approach and what I wanted to achieve.
“Each step, each goal, each master.”
Cooper Woods knew he had to send it to win the gold medal, and he did. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
Woods was a surprise winner only in that he doesn’t have the same track record of success at the highest level as many of the other players in the Super Finals.
While Mikael Kingsbury has 100 FIS World Cup wins, Ikuma Horishima has 24, Matt Graham has five and Walter Wahlberg has four, Woods has only one silver medal.
But at the Beijing Olympics four years ago, the man became only the third Australian to reach an Olympic super final, following Dale Begg-Smith and Matt Graham.
Talent and ability have always existed.
Cooper Woods will forever be Australia’s seventh Winter Olympic champion. (Getty Images: NurPhoto/Ulrik Pedersen)
But for Woods, it’s been a tough two years dealing with a knee injury that required pioneering surgery to repair and get him ready in time for the Olympics.
“It’s been a bit of a tough time,” he said.
“Especially in the comps, I couldn’t express my skiing the way I wanted.”
But today, all he felt was an overwhelming sense of confidence at the top of the hill, a sense that time slowed down and the hill bent to his will. This feeling was both rare and fleeting, but for those blessed with it, it felt like a cloak of invincibility.
“It felt like it took forever to run today. It felt really good,” Woods said.
“The last time I felt it was at the last Olympics and it was very special.
“That was four years ago…You don’t often feel moments like that.”
After missing out on a top-10 finish in Tuesday’s qualifying, Woods admitted he was a little fired up to prove the judges wrong, but said pressure can produce diamonds.
Cooper Woods exclaimed with joy at his success. (Getty Images: Michael Reeves)
He was half right.
But on this occasion, gold is a much more valuable commodity.
“I think pressure, pressure is a beautiful thing,” he said.
“Some people can accept it, and some people can’t stand it.
“If you leave it at that, that’s great.”
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Woods’ down-to-earth nature means he’s the type of athlete who knows not to make a mistake when the time comes to enjoy life, and he’s happy to celebrate this success – he’s already had a beer on Channel Nine.
However, he pointed out that he may need some reining in given that he will be competing in the dual moguls just a few days later.
But few would begrudge him at least a few celebratory drinks tonight.
After all, he ended Australia’s medal drought.
And if that doesn’t deserve some kind of reward, I don’t know what will.