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Stephy Zhang

Eileen Gu is looking to defend her big air crown at the Winter Olympics this Sunday, but she will once again have to outdo the Swiss skier who denied her a gold medal for the second consecutive Games earlier this week.
The Chinese freestyle skiing star finished second to Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland in the women’s slopestyle, a repeat of the result at the last Games.
But both athletes were very positive after the event.
“That was definitely the best slopestyle run I’ve ever done,” Gu said.
Gremaud said “it’s the best one I’ve ever done in my life, yes”.
At the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Gu won gold medals in big air and half-pipe, with Gremaud claiming bronze in big air.

The two meet in the big air event on Sunday, with qualification starting at 2.30am Hong Kong time, and the final on Tuesday morning.
Gu will also compete in the half-pipe qualification on February 20, with the final on the Games’ closing day two days later.
“I haven’t competed a lot in big air,” Gu said, adding that this would be her first big air event since the last Olympics.
She also said that she was “happy to be here. I’m happy to be healthy in one piece.
“I will say it is a bit of a challenge because half-pipe is after big air, and so that is a consideration for me when it comes to, I guess, programming and strategy when it comes to choosing tricks and being safe.”
At the 2021 World Championships in Aspen, Gu took gold in the slopestyle with Gremaud second. In the same event’s big air final, Gu finished third while Gremaud placed 24th.
For Gremaud, the constant threat of Gu keeps her on her toes.
“For sure, it’s pushing me. It’s probably getting the best out of me, in a good way, because I cannot just rely on doing it a little bit,” Gremaud said.
“I have to push, and then she has to push, and no one’s going to pull on the brake. Everyone’s going to just go all in. And that’s really cool.”
The dynamic sets up a classic redemption arc for the big air final.

Also this week, Gu defended a fellow Olympic athlete after US President Donald Trump made negative comments on social media.
Trump called American freestyle skier Hunter Hess a “loser” after Hess expressed doubts about competing for the US under the country’s current immigration policy.
“I’m sorry that the headline that is eclipsing the Olympics has to be something so …” Gu paused, shook her head, and showed a helpless expression, “unrelated to the spirit of the Games. It really runs contrary to everything the Olympics should be.”
Born in San Francisco and competing for China, Gu has faced criticism and online abuse over the past four years. She said “it’s really been hard these four years” and hopes other athletes will not have to go through the same.
“The whole point of sport is to bring people together,” she said after she won her silver medal in Milan.
“One of the very few common languages, that of the human body, that of the human spirit, the competitive spirit, the capacity to break not only records, but especially in our sport, literally the human limit. How wonderful is that?”


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Eileen Gu has Winter Olympics gold in sight – rival Mathilde Gremaud stands in her way

Eileen Gu of China (left) was beaten to the freestyle skiing slopestyle gold medal for the second straight Olympics by Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud on Monday.  Photo: AP

Eileen Gu said her performance in the slopestyle final was the best of her career. Photo: AP

Eileen Gu also defended US skier Hunter Hess after he was called a “loser” by Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters

Tottenham Hotspur sack manager Thomas Frank with Premier League relegation dogfight looming

Tottenham Hotspur’s Danish head coach Thomas Frank has been sacked, the club announced on Wednesday.  Photo: AFP

Thomas Frank during Spurs’ Champions League match against Eintracht Frankfurt. Photo: AFP

Olympic sevens and World Cup ambition can go hand in hand, Hong Kong rugby bosses say

Hong Kong have already qualified for the Rugby World Cup, with a spot at the LA Olympics sevens tournament next on the list. Photo: World Rugby

James Christie (centre) is among those players expected to be part of both the sevens and 15s squads. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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Chinese freestyle skiing star defends her big air crown at the 2026 Winter Olympics this weekend and half pipe next week


Chinese freestyle skiing star defends her big air crown at the 2026 Winter Olympics this weekend and half pipe next week.


Donald Trump

Eileen Gu

Eileen Gu has Winter Olympics gold in sight – rival Mathilde Gremaud stands in her way

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chinese freestyle skiing star defends her big air crown at the 2026 Winter Olympics this weekend and half pipe next week

Chinese freestyle skiing star defends her big air crown at the 2026 Winter Olympics this weekend and half pipe next week