Gu Ailing made an impressive entry into the 2024-25 season of the FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup by clinching the gold in the women’s slopestyle final held in Laax, Switzerland.
In her debut World Cup slopestyle event of the season, Gu scored an outstanding 81.22 points, outpacing Canada’s Megan Oldham, who secured the silver with 72.80 points, and Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud, who took bronze with 72.59 points.
This victory is particularly significant as it comes under the new Olympic qualification system for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, where slopestyle and big air have been merged into a single discipline. This change means that athletes can secure only one quota spot for their National or Regional Olympic Committee (NOC) across both events.
Olympic qualification is now based on athletes’ best performances in World Cup competitions and the upcoming 2025 World Championships. By winning in Laax, Gu has made a substantial stride towards her ambition of competing in all three freeski park and pipe events – slopestyle, halfpipe, and big air – at the next Winter Games.
Gu has previously expressed her ambition to compete in all three freeski park and pipe events – slopestyle, halfpipe, and big air – at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. This latest triumph not only elevates her standing in the competitive circuit but also brings her closer to realizing her Olympic dreams.
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Gu Ailing wins gold in her 2024-25 season World Cup slopestyle debut
cgtn.com
