Swiss Gremaud grabs women's freeski slopestyle gold, China's Gu wins silver at Beijing 2022

Gu Ailing of China reacts during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle final of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 15, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

CHONGLI, Zhangjiakou, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Swiss skier Mathilde Gremaud, the runner-up at PyeongChang 2018, claimed the women's freeski slopestyle gold at Beijing 2022 here on Tuesday.

China's prodigy Gu Ailing, who beat Gremaud in the big air for the gold on Feb. 8, grabbed the silver with her third run score of 86.23 points.

In the dramatic three-run final, Gremaud, 22, collapsed in the first section of her first run, receiving only 1.10 points as she was unable to perform in the other five sections of the run.

Gremaud, who had taken the big air bronze in Shougang, Beijing on Feb. 8, rebounded in her second run, collecting the eventual winning score of 86.56 points and her ranking rose from the bottom of the 11 finalists to the top.

Although she got only 46.96 for her third run, it did not have any impact on her top podium finish.

Gu, 18, did not show her sound form in the first two runs, ranking 8th after the second. But she captured the last chance to throw a series of brilliant tricks in her third run to win a silver.

In her Olympic debut, Gu is setting her second gold goal at the Beijing 2022 in the halfpipe competition, which will start on Thursday.

The bronze medal went to Estonian young talent Kelly Sildaru who notched down 82.06 points in her first run. The 2020 Youth Olympic champion almost completed a perfect second run until the last landing in the sixth section ended with a ski detached from her left foot.

Without the ski, the 19-year-old still skied smoothly to the finishing area. But the score was only 46.71 points.

Marin Hamill of the United States, who had qualified for the final, did not start on Tuesday due to a knee injury in the second run of the qualification on Monday.

Gu Ailing of China competes during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle final of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 15, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Haofei)

Gu Ailing of China competes during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle final of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 15, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Haofei)

Gu Ailing of China competes during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle final of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 15, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Haofei)