LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese freestyle skiing star Gu Ailing fell just 0.38 points short of history on Monday, missing the chance to become the first freestyle skier to win Olympic gold in halfpipe, big air and slopestyle.
The two-time Olympic champion again ran into Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud, who edged Gu for gold in the women's slopestyle at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, echoing their duel at the Beijing Games four years ago.
"I think it's kind of funny that both Olympics we were within half a point of one another. If anything, I think it's just testament to the growth of women's freeskiing. It's so special to be a part of that," Gu said after the race.
With large numbers of Chinese fans at Livigno Snow Park, Gu, competing second to last, led after the opening run with a field-best 86.58 points. Gremaud followed with 83.60, and the pair quickly opened a double-digit gap over the rest of the field.
The duel intensified in the second run as mistakes spread through the competition. Gu stumbled and managed only 23 points, while Gremaud produced the only near-flawless run of the round to move into the lead with 86.96.
Under heavy pressure in the final run, Gu repeated the same error she made in qualifying, crashing early in the rail section and finishing with just 1.65 points.
After her fall in qualification, Gu said, "The Olympics always come with this kind of pressure. It's really different from any other competition."
Gremaud elected to enjoy her final round, wrapping herself in her national flag as the crowd roared. Canada's Megan Oldham claimed bronze with 76.46 in her final run, edging Britain's Kirsty Muir by 0.41 points.
Among the three Chinese skiers who reached the final, Liu Mengting placed fifth after scoring 67.46 in the opening run. Han Linshan was unable to compete after suffering an injury in training.
Gu's silver marked China's first silver medal of the Milan-Cortina Games. The country's first medal overall came earlier when Su Yiming won bronze in the men's big air.
She is scheduled to compete in three freestyle skiing disciplines, with halfpipe and big air still ahead. Gu has yet to confirm whether she will enter big air. ■
