Kearney and Bjoernlund strike moguls golds in Are

OLYMPIC champion Hannah Kearney enjoyed a successful return to Are as she swept to freestyle skiing World Cup moguls gold in Sweden.

HAPPY RETURNS: USA's Olympic champion Hannah Kearney wins World Cup in Are for second straight year (Getty Images)

The 24-year old, who won gold in Are last season, qualified in first before scoring 26.06 in the final to strike gold.

Canada's Jennifer Heil, who struck silver behind Kearney at the Vancouver Olympics in February, finished second-best again, scoring 25.3 while former USA's 2003 World Cup champion Shannon Bahrke scored her fourth podium finish of the season with bronze.

Having won four times this season, Heil remains at the top of the moguls World Cup standings on 665 with USA's Heather McPhie second on 516 and Kearney third on 466.

Meanwhile, home favourite Jesper Bjoernlund scored his third victory of the season in Are.

The 24-year old scored 25.91 to strike gold ahead of USA's world champion Patrick Deneen in second and Canada's Maxime Gingras in third.

Australia's Olympic silver medallist Dale Begg-Smith finished eighth in Are but remains top of the moguls World Cup standings on 587 with Bjoernlund second on 512 and France's Guilbaut Colas third on 415.

The skiers return to Are for the dual moguls event on Saturday before the final event of the season in Sierra Nevada on March 18.