Gremaud edges Gu by 0.38 points to defend Olympic slopestyle gold

Mathilde Gremaud Defends Olympic Slopestyle Gold Over Eileen Gu in Thrilling Rematch

Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud successfully defended her Olympic freeski slopestyle title on Monday at Livigno Snow Park, narrowly defeating China’s Eileen Gu by 0.38 points in a dramatic rematch of their 2022 Beijing duel. Gremaud posted a winning score of 86.96 on her second run to overtake Gu’s first-run mark of 86.58, cementing her status as the first woman to win back-to-back slopestyle gold medals in Olympic history.olympics

The victory came one day after Gremaud’s 26th birthday, adding to an already historic career that now includes four Olympic medals—an all-time record for women’s freestyle skiing.sportpreferred

A Rivalry Renewed

The final echoed their clash in Beijing four years ago, where Gremaud edged Gu by just 0.33 points. This time, the margin was nearly identical at 0.38 points, underscoring how evenly matched the pair remain at the sport’s highest level.espn

Gu set the early pace with an 86.58 score on her opening run, but struggled to improve on subsequent attempts. Her second run yielded just 23.00, and a costly stumble on the first rail during her third run ended any hope of overtaking the Swiss star. The silver medal marks Gu’s second consecutive Olympic runner-up finish in slopestyle.sportpreferred

Gremaud’s winning run featured a nose butter double cork 1260 with a safety grab—the first time a woman had successfully landed the trick in Olympic competition, according to reports.sportpreferred

Heartbreak for Britain’s Muir

Canada’s Megan Oldham claimed bronze with a score of 76.46 after recovering from a crash on her second run to deliver her best performance when it mattered most.globalnews

Great Britain’s Kirsty Muir endured an agonizing fourth-place finish with 76.05 points, missing the podium by just 0.41 points. The 21-year-old Scottish skier had arrived at the Games in peak form, having dominated the X Games in Aspen just two weeks earlier with a commanding 93.66 score.bbc

“It’s just a tough place to be, fourth,” Muir said through tears. “I’m really happy that I managed to pull myself back to the moment before my third run. I’m proud I put a run down.”independent

Gu now shifts her focus to defending her titles in big air and halfpipe later in the Games, while Gremaud celebrated her historic achievement by wrapping herself in a Swiss flag cape during a victory lap as the crowd in Livigno cheered.reuters