The Japan Times - China's freeski star Gu recovers from crash to reach Olympic big air final

Gu was in a comfortable position after scoring 86.00 points in her first run of three but fell on her second attempt, ramping up the pressure ahead of her final effort.

After her tumble she spent about 10 minutes talking to her mother at Livigno Snow Park, applying ice to her left wrist before returning to the top of the course.

But she punched the air in delight after a smooth final run, scoring 84.75 for a combined total of 170.75, which meant she finished second.

Gu will resume her battle with Gremaud in Monday's final after the Swiss beat her into second place in slopestyle earlier in the Games.

Gremaud, who won big air bronze at the 2022 Beijing Games, was third in qualifying with a score of 169.00.

Canada's Meghan Oldham, who won bronze in slopestyle in Livigno, topped the charts with a score of 171.75.

The top 12 competitors advanced to the women's final based on their two best runs of three.

US-born Gu, who switched allegiance to China in 2019, was one of the faces of the Beijing Games.

She became the first athlete to secure three freestyle skiing medals at a single Winter Olympics, winning half-pipe and big air gold and taking silver behind Gremaud in slopestyle.

Gu, who was the fourth highest-paid sportswoman in the world last year according to Forbes, came to Italy hunting a clean sweep of titles.

In big air, athletes ride down a slope towards a massive ramp, which they use to soar into the air and perform different aerial tricks.

K.Nakajima--JT