Xu Mengtao won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s freestyle skiing aerials for China at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China, on Monday night, and could not stop screaming with joy after a confident display in sub-zero temperatures.
The 31-year-old veteran, who won the individual silver in 2014 and followed it up with another silver in the mixed team event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics last week, scored a whopping 108.61 points in the final to take the long-awaited title of Olympic champion.
Hanna Huskova of Belarus took silver with 107.95 points, while Megan Nick of the U.S. nabbed bronze with 93.76 points.
Throughout the qualifying rounds in the afternoon and in the first round of the finals, Xu had battled it out with Ashley Caldwell of Team USA. Along with Australia’s reigning world champion Laura Peel and Xu’s compatriot Kong Fanyu, they were the only athletes to score over 100 points with triples during the day.
Poor landings by Peel and Kong in the final round however left the door wide open for Xu, who delivered a clean back-full-full-full.
The 31-year-old pointed at the sky upon landing and let out a scream, aware that this was good enough for gold.
Xu Mengtao of China competes in the freestyle skiing women’s aerials finals at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Genting Snow Park A & M Stadium in Zhangjiakou, north China’s Hebei Province, February 14, 2022. /CFP
There was one last jump to come from former world champion Caldwell, who was leading after the first round, but it proved too little.
Caldwell ran to Xu and the two women hugged and screamed, even as they awaited final results. In the end, Caldwell just missed the podium, finishing fourth, days after winning mixed team gold.
The individual gold was a long time coming for Xu, a six-time world championship medalist and five-time World Cup crystal globe winner who is again leading the World Cup standings this year.
“I’m just super excited. This is the first gold medal by China in women’s aerials and it’s just super cool,” she said afterwards.
“I just wanted to do the best tricks I can do and I did it and that was all.”
Xu Mengtao of China celebrates after winning the freestyle skiing women’s aerials gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Genting Snow Park A & M Stadium in Zhangjiakou, north China’s Hebei Province, February 14, 2022. /CFP
Huskova failed to defend her Olympic gold medal from 2018 but said: “It’s amazing to get silver, it’s incredible.”
“I’m very happy with all my jumps but in the super final I went for a more difficult jump, and I’m happy I could land it very well.”
Nick admitted she felt queasy going into the final. “I thought I was going to throw up, but I was able to calm my nerves enough to land some jumps, thank goodness.”
“I knew it was going to be challenging because the field is so good. Everyone’s jumping at such a high level that I knew I had to put down a good jump. I’m just relieved that I was able to do that,” she said, adding she was “very overwhelmed but I’m extremely happy.”
Her U.S. teammate Caldwell meanwhile paid tribute to her competitors, and especially newly crowned Olympic champion Xu.
L-R: Silver medalist Hanna Huskova of Belaru, Gold medalist Xu Mengtao of China and Bronze medalist Megan Nick of the USA celebrate after competing in the freestyle skiing women’s aerials finals at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Genting Snow Park A & M Stadium in Zhangjiakou, north China’s Hebei Province, February 14, 2022. /CFP
For Huskova, this is a second Olympic medal although she failed to defend her gold from 2018.
“I am so proud of Taotao (Xu Mengtao) and I am so proud of Hanna Huskova and of Megan Nick. They are incredible athletes,” she said.
“I have a lot of emotions right now. Mostly I feel like there is a lot of relief. The Olympics is incredibly stressful and we put a lot of heart in to what we do. I gave it my all, and it didn’t work.
“Taotao has been pushing triples for longer than I have, and I respect her wholeheartedly. For her to win the gold medal in her own country is an incredible accomplishment and it brought tears to my eyes just as much as sadness did.”
