China’s Eileen Gu won silver in women’s big air at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, becoming the first freestyle skier to claim five Olympic medals.
China’s freestyle skier Eileen Gu claimed her second silver medal of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in the women’s big air final on February 16th, bringing her total Olympic medal count to five and setting a new record in freestyle skiing.
Heavy snowfall at Livigno delayed the competition. During the postponement, Switzerland’s top contender, Mathilde Gremaud, withdrew due to injury. Once the snow eased, the final began.
In the competition, each skier had three runs. Judges scored each jump on difficulty, execution and landing. Then, the two highest scores from different tricks were added together for the total.
Gu opened with a right double cork 1440, scoring 90.00 points and placing tied for third. In her second run, a left-side double cork 1260, she struggled to secure her board after takeoff and landed slightly unsteady, earning 61.25 points. However, in the third run, Gu regained composure and delivered a strong performance, scoring 89.00 points. Her total of 179.00 points secured the silver medal.
Canada’s Megan Oldham took the gold with a combined score of 180.75 points, while Italy’s Flora Tabanelli claimed bronze, just four months after recovering from an ACL injury. Gu and Oldham embraced before stepping onto the medal podium.
The final took place on February 16th, which coincided with Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve. Gu sent her New Year greetings to fans after the event. Meanwhile, another Chinese competitor, Liu Mengting, finished seventh with 166.00 points.
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