Former world champion Jacqui Cooper will make her long-awaited aerial skiing comeback next month at the opening round of this year's World Cup in Victoria.

Cooper, who has not competed since sustaining a serious knee injury prior to the 2002 Winter Olympics, has been confirmed as a definite starter for the Mt Buller World Aerials on September 4-5.

Australian Olympic Winter Institute boss Geoff Lipshut said the 31-year-old had been training well with the Australian team in Utah and would compete in front of her home crowd.

Most of Cooper's rehabilitation work has centred on improving her gymnastics skills to bring her up to date with the team-mates who have moved the sport to a new level - world No.1 Alisa Camplin and No.2 Lydia Ierodiaconou.

Both came from gymnastics backgrounds, with Camplin winning the Olympic and world titles in 2002 and 2003 and Ierodiaconou winning three World Cup events last season.

"We've been working on modernising Jacqui's skills base," Lipshut said.

"We wanted her to have a similar technical base to Alisa and Lydia, so we've been teaching her basic gymnastics skills.

"When you want to come back to the Olympics at 33, you have to do something special.

"She's as lean and light as she's ever been in her life. If she makes the Olympic team, it will be a small miracle.

"If she wins, it will be one of the most notable winter sports achievements ever."

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