At the 2026 Winter Olympics held at Milano Cortina, China’s freestyle skiing star, Gu Ailing, showed why she is one of the best in the world by taking home a silver medal in women’s freestyle skiing big air final event.
Gu Ailing competed in her first major big air competition in four years, and the 22-year-old skier proved her mettle by standing on the Olympic podium again.
Strong Return After Four-Year Big Air Hiatus
The Olympic champion had not taken part in any major women’s big air competition since her victory at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. At the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, she earned a total of 179.00 points, just 1.75 points behind Canada’s Megan Oldham, who won the gold medal.
Analyzing her performance, Gu stated that she took her competition one step at a time, enjoying her experience in competing in big air events again.
Competition Highlights at Livigno Snow Park
The final of the women’s big air event at Livigno Snow Park experienced a delay of more than an hour because of heavy snowfall and strong winds. However, the event was filled with exciting performances despite the weather conditions.
Gu Ailing’s score on 3 runs:
1st: 90.0 pts
2nd: 61.25 pts – skidded on landing
3rd: 89.00 pts
Although she had a tough second run, she came back strongly with a flawless last run to claim the silver medal.
Second Silver at 2026 Winter Olympics
This big air medal is Gu’s second silver at the 2026 Winter Olympics, following her second place in slopestyle earlier in the Games. This latest medal win brings Gu’s total medal count at the Winter Olympics to five, making her the most decorated female athlete in freestyle skiing history at the Olympics. The medal win is even more special as it happened on the first day of the Chinese New Year.
Megan Oldham Claims Gold for Canada
Canadian Megan Oldham started with a golden performance with scores of 91.75 and 89.00 in the first two runs. The 24-year-old, who finished fourth in the big air event at the Beijing 2022 Games, won her second medal at the Milano Cortina Games after taking home bronze in slopestyle.
Oldham said winning the gold medal has always been a dream for her, and she is proud to have executed her tricks and compete for Canada at the highest level.
Flora Tabanelli Secures Bronze for Italy
Italy’s Flora Tabanelli delighted the crowd with a bronze medal performance. She recorded the best single result of the competition with 94.25 points on her final attempt.
Other Key Results and Updates
China’s Liu Mengting made her Olympic debut, finishing seventh. Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud, the Beijing 2022 big air bronze medalist and Milano Cortina 2026 slopestyle champion, withdrew with a hip injury sustained during warm-ups.
What’s Next for Gu Ailing at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Gu will debut in her specialisation the halfpipe and hopes to increase her already impressive total medal tally this week. Gu Ailing made history as the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a single Games.
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