Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland staved off a gutsy challenge from American-born Eileen Gu of China to successfully defend her Olympic freeksi slopestyle gold medal Monday afternoon at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games in Livigno, Italy.
The two-time reigning world champion donned her nation's flag as a cape while flying down the course on a final-run victory lap.
"Eileen tried to come for me all the time, and I had to really focus on myself so that she couldn't get to me," Gremaud said. "It was a crazy ride. … It was a really tough battle with Eileen. She pushed me to push myself as well for sure."
Gu, a native of Sunday's Super Bowl host city San Francisco, led early but had trouble hitting her initial rail trick on her subsequent two runs, a trick she said she learned just last week.
This opened up a window for Gremaud, who finished about four points ahead of Gu in qualifying, to recapture the title and replicate the pair's 1-2 finish from Beijing. Both skiers now share the title of most decorated in their sport with four Olympic medals apiece.
Megan Oldham claimed bronze despite a crash on Run 2 to return Canada to the podium for the first time since 2014.
The podium was decided by the slightest of margins: 0.38 points separated Gremaud and Gu, nearly mirroring the 0.33 from the 2022 Games; and Oldham barely fended off Kirsty Muir of Great Britain for the final spot by 0.41 points.
"I think it's kind of funny that both Olympics [Gremaud and I] were within half a point of one another," Gu said. "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 put down the field's best first run, nailing the opening switch rightside 270 disaster she'd crashed hard on during warmups and spinning all four directions in the rail section to record an 86.58. Gremaud unleased a beautiful nosebutter double cork 1260 — the highest-scored trick of the competition — to close out hers, but trailed Gu by about three points with an 83.60.
In the second runs, Gu came off early on the first rail while attempting a switch 270 and scrapped the rest of the run. Meanwhile, Gremaud added a full rotation (900 to 1260) to her fifth-feature switch double cork safety grab, combining a jump line of a switch double 10 and two double 12s with a switch to score an 86.96 and go ahead of Gu by 0.38 points.
"Sometimes it feels like I'm carrying the weight of two countries on my shoulders," Gu said. "Just being able to ski through all of that, you know. To still show my best and still be so deeply in love with the sport."
Gu will be back Saturday for big air, and later halfpipe next Thursday, two events in which she won gold at the previous Olympics. She is currently a quantum physics major at Stanford University.
Seventeen-year-old Avery Krumme of the U.S. finished 11th. The 2024 junior world bronze medalist put on a solid show but bobbled the rail section on her first run and landed sideways on the final jump of her second run.
Born and raised in Canada, Krumme began representing the U.S. last summer and holds a passport through her mom, Rachel, who's from Texas. She was the No. 4 qualifier and the only U.S. skier to make the final.
Women's freeski big air final
- 🥇 Mathilde Gremaud, Switzerland (86.96)
- 🥈 Elieen Gu, China (86.58)
- 🥉 Megan Oldham, Canada (76.46)
- Kirsty Muir, Great Britain (76.05)
- Lui Mengting, China (67.46)
- Giulia Tanno, Switzerland (65.85)
- Naomi Urness, Canada (64.73)
- Anni Karava, Finland (63.51)
- Lara Wolf, Austria (56.60)
- Maria Gasslitter, Italy (52.45)
- Avery Krumme, United States (52.40)