02/09/26 07:56:00
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02/09 07:55 CST Gremaud again denies Gu an Olympic gold medal in freeski
slopestyle
Gremaud again denies Gu an Olympic gold medal in freeski slopestyle
By JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press
LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) --- Mathilde Gremaud successfully defended her Olympic
freeski slopestyle title and denied Eileen Gu a gold medal for a second
straight Winter Games.
Gremaud won Monday's final with a score of 86.96 from the best of her three
jumps, while Gu again took silver behind her Swiss rival with her best effort
of 86.58.
Gu needed a huge score on her final run when she had one last chance to better
Gremaud, but that run barely lasted. Gu skittered off the first rail and
toppled to her side, dashing her title hopes.
Knowing she had locked up the gold after Gu fell, Gremaud tied a Swiss flag
around her neck and wore it like a cape as she cruised down the course on her
victory lap. After coming off the course, she embraced her teammates to
celebrate her fourth career Olympic medal. Nearby, ecstatic supporters waved
Swiss flags.
Gremaud, who turned 26 the day before the final, has now beaten Gu twice in
Olympic finals by the slightest of margins: 0.33 points in 2022, and 0.38 in
2026.
Canada's Megan Oldham claimed bronze.
That tricky rail doomed Gu
Strong as Gremaud was in the jumps, Gu was undone by the railing section at the
start of her run.
Gu led after the first of three runs when she nailed her routine, but Gremaud
laid down her winning run on her second go to move to the top of the points
table. Gu then wobbled off the rail on her second run; even though she kept her
balance, but the mistake resulted in a low score.
That same rail section had caused Gu to fall during Saturday's qualifying, when
she had to execute perfectly on a second go to advance to the final.
But when it mattered most on Monday and Gu had her last shot to snatch a win,
the result was the same: Just seconds into her run she went tipping off the
rail and tumbled in the snow.
Gu, who was born in America but competes for China, became a global star at the
2022 Beijing Games where she won three medals, including gold in freeski
halfpipe and big air. She will now turn to defending her titles at these Games.
Gremaud's medal chest includes a silver in slopestyle from the 2018 Winter
Games and a bronze in big air from 2022. She is also a two-time world champion
in slopestyle in 2025 and 2023, among other titles.
In slopestyle, skiers perform acrobatic tricks while skiing over rails and
jumps that are judged for difficulty and execution. The Livigno course consists
of three rail sections followed by three jumps. The best score of the three
jumps counts.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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