Gu Ailing of China reacts during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
by sportswriter He Leijing
LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's freestyle skiing star Gu Ailing recovered from an early fall to advance to the women's slopestyle final here on Saturday at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
The 22-year-old Olympic champion crashed early on the rail section of her first qualifying run and finished with 1.26 points, despite completing the remainder of the course.
"The Olympics always come with this kind of pressure. It's really different from any other competition," Gu said after qualifying. "But mental adjustment is part of competing. You have to trust yourself."
After regrouping, and sharing an embrace with her mother, Gu returned for her second run. Wearing an outfit featuring a Chinese dragon, which she called "a symbol of strength, courage and power," she delivered a composed and technically sound performance for 75.30 points, the second-highest score, to secure a place in the final.
Known for her composure, Gu said she and her mother leaned on each other. "My mom was extremely nervous. She was terrified down there, so we were comforting each other," Gu said with a smile. "But she had a lot of confidence in me. She knew I could do it. She told me to eat something sweet to help reset my mindset."
"I sank deep into myself. I went into the pit of my stomach and found my flow state," she said. "I reminded myself how ridiculously hard I've worked. It's not just that I love skiing - I'm obsessed with it. I've lived and breathed this moment for the past year. There's no moment like this anymore. This is it."
Gu won two gold medals and one silver at Beijing 2022, becoming the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a single Winter Games, though she narrowly missed slopestyle gold.
After skipping the 2025 world championships and the Asian Winter Games due to a shoulder injury and later suffering a training accident in New Zealand last August, Gu signaled her return to form last month with a World Cup slopestyle victory in Laax, Switzerland.
"In my head, I'm coming into this as a rookie. I have nothing to prove," Gu said. "I've won more World Cups than any freestyle skier, male or female. I'm the only freestyle skier to win three medals at one Olympics and the youngest Olympic gold medalist."
"I'm not here because I have to be. I'm here because I want to be, because I love this sport and because I want to represent it honorably on the world stage," she added.
Gu is scheduled to compete in three freestyle skiing disciplines at Milan-Cortina, including halfpipe and big air, but her participation in big air remains uncertain due to limited recent competition.
China fielded four athletes in women's slopestyle for the first time, with three advancing to the final. Han Linshan placed fifth and Liu Mengting finished 11th to qualify, while Yang Ruyi ranked 19th and missed out.
Defending Olympic champion Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland topped the qualification standings, scoring 76.68 in her first run before improving to a session-best 79.15 in her second.
The 26-year-old defeated Gu for the slopestyle title and won big air bronze at Beijing 2022, along with slopestyle silver at PyeongChang 2018.
"It's motivating to just keep going," Gremaud said. "Staying at the top for several years is every athlete's fight. I'm in a great place right now and I'm enjoying it, but I want to keep going. I've proven myself many times over the years. I'm here, and I don't want to give my spot away."
A total of 26 skiers entered qualification, with each athlete allowed two runs and the top 12 advancing based on their best score. Three competitors did not start.
The final, featuring three runs with the highest score counting, is scheduled for Feb. 9 at Livigno Snow Park. ■
Gu Ailing of China reacts during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
Gu Ailing of China reacts during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
Gu Ailing of China reacts during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
Gu Ailing of China competes during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Gu Ailing of China competes during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Gu Ailing of China reacts during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
Gu Ailing of China competes during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
