Kai Owens had never finished in the top three at a World Cup event before today ©Getty Images

Mikaël Kingsbury capped a superb return to International Ski Federation (FIS) Freestyle Ski World Cup action by winning the dual moguls in Deer Valley, while 16-year-old Kai Owens earned a maiden World Cup win in the women's event.

Kingsbury followed up yesterday's moguls victory with another, but was pushed all the way by Benjamin Cavet in the semi-finals.

Cavet of France - second in yesterday's moguls contest - narrowly lost 17-18 to the Canadian in the semi-finals, but went on to beat Japan's Kosuke Sugimoto in the small final.

In the main event in Utah, Kingsbury was judged a 20-15 victor over Australian Matt Graham.

This is the first FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup leg that Kingsbury, the Olympic moguls champion, has competed in since March last year, owing to a back fracture and the coronavirus pandemic.

In the women's contest there was a shock as Perrine Laffont's run of five World Cup wins in a row, which dated back to last season, came to an end.

Mikaël Kingsbury did the moguls and dual moguls double in Deer Valley ©Getty Images
Mikaël Kingsbury did the moguls and dual moguls double in Deer Valley ©Getty Images

American Tess Johnson was judged to have defeated the French Olympic moguls champion 18-17 in the quarter-finals, and Johnson went on to finish third.

Fellow American Owens beat Johnson in the semi-finals by the same scoreline.

Owens then beat compatriot Hannah Soar 22-13 to secure a first-ever World Cup victory.

While Laffont has already secured this season's women's moguls crystal globe, Graham now leads the men's standings on 289 points, with Cavet second on 271.

A dual moguls contest in Almaty in Kazakhstan on March 14 is last on this season's World Cup calendar.

Almaty will also stage this year's World Championships the same month.

Deer Valley will be the scene of aerials contests tomorrow.