For the second straight Winter Olympics, Mathilde Gremaud bests Eileen Gu within the ladies’s blue ribband freeski occasion.
Printed On 9 Feb 2026
Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud has retained her Olympic title within the slopestyle freestyle snowboarding competitors on the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Video games in a gripping race within the Italian Alpine city of Livigno.
China’s Eileen Gu, who had been hoping to transform her Beijing 2022 silver medal into gold this time, got here in second on Monday after tumbling at first of her final run.
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Canada’s Megan Oldham, 24, took the underside step of the rostrum regardless of an enormous crash on her second run.
Incomes herself a day-late birthday current, Gremaud skied nicely above the already very excessive bar set by Gu on her first run with three spectacular runs of her personal, sporting the Swiss flag like a cape as she got here down the final time, having already ensured herself the gold medal.
Gremaud rolls out new trick
On a crisp and sunny day within the high-altitude ski resort near the Swiss border, Gremaud kicked off the ultimate by performing – for the primary time by a girl – an elite-level trick often known as the nostril butter double cork 1260.
On this trick, the skier presses the guidelines of the skis on the takeoff to begin the spin after which performs a double cork 1260, two distinct off-axis, inverted flips mixed with three-and-a-half full, horizontal rotations.
Recognized for her number of tips on the slope, the Swiss champion veered in direction of the very technical ones, adopted by breathtaking acrobatic jumps throughout her second run, incomes her the eventual highest rating total of 86.96, simply pipping Gu’s first-run rating of 86.58.
Regardless of the large crash on her second run, Oldham picked up within the third run, hovering by means of the rails and performing conservative but nonetheless very acrobatic jumps on the finish, successful her a rating of 76.46.
On the finish of the race and throughout the prize-giving ceremony, the group was painted in numerous hues of pink because the flags of the three successful international locations – Switzerland, China and Canada – all waved within the air to the beat of loud music and cheering. The medals have been handed out by Britain’s Princess Anne, a former Olympic equestrian.
Excessive competitors
Double Olympic champion Gu, 22, set the bar excessive on the primary run with huge tips on the rails and gorgeous jumps, including aptitude to all of her tips and placing herself in first place early on.
After a poor second run when she came upon the rails originally of the fantastically sculpted piste, Gu knew she would want one thing particular on her remaining run to seize the title away from Gremaud. However she tumbled into the snow virtually instantly, ending her hopes of reclaiming prime spot within the competitors.
American-born Gu, who represents her mom’s nation of China on the Olympics, mentioned final week that she had nothing left to show after her two gold and one silver medal from Beijing.
She will likely be defending her huge air and halfpipe titles later within the Video games.
