LIVIGNO, Italy – Chinese freestyle skier Xu Mengtao successfully defended her Olympic championship in women’s aerials competition on Wednesday, cementing her legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Australia’s Danielle Scott claimed the silver medal, while China’s Shao Qi rounded out the podium with bronze.
The 35-year-old Xu has competed in five Olympic Games and holds the record for aerials with 35 World Cup wins. She currently leads the World Cup standings, and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation considers her the sport’s greatest competitor ever.
Beyond her gold medal from Beijing 2022, Xu previously earned silver in the mixed team aerials at those same Games and another silver in aerials at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
During Wednesday’s competition at the Italian alpine venue, Xu dominated her opponents with a final jump score of 112.90, significantly ahead of Scott’s 102.17 and Shao’s 101.90.
The champion became emotional after her victory, raising her arms while holding China’s flag in celebration.
Scott, also 35 and competing in her fourth Olympics, had expressed hopes of winning gold but couldn’t match her Chinese competitor’s performance. The fact that both top finishers are 35 years old stands out in a sport typically won by younger athletes.
For 24-year-old Shao, competing in her second Olympic Games, the bronze represents her first Olympic medal.
The aerials discipline challenges athletes to launch themselves from steep ramps, soaring as high as 20 meters while performing intricate aerial maneuvers before touching down on sharp inclines.
Competitors can reach speeds exceeding 60 kilometers per hour during their runs. Judges evaluate performances based on air time, distance traveled, form, technical difficulty, and landing execution, with 150 being the perfect score.
Aerials skiing became an Olympic sport starting with the 1994 Lillehammer Games.
