This past weekend at the Secret Garden Resort in Zhangjiakou, the Chinese mainland's two-time Olympic champion Gu Ailing defended her women's halfpipe title for the third year in a row at the FIS Freeski World Cup.
Only the top 10 qualifiers advanced to the final. On Saturday, December 13, Gu opened her campaign with a strong 85.25-point run, landing her in second behind Great Britain's reigning world champion Zoe Atkin, who posted an early leader's score of 90.25 points.
Facing the energized home crowd and swirling snowflakes, the 22-year-old dialed up the difficulty on her second attempt. She delivered a near-flawless routine, earning the highest mark of the day – 91.75 points – to seal the victory and stand atop the podium for the third straight edition of the event in Chongli District.
Compatriot Zhang Kexin claimed fifth place with 78.25 points, while Li Fanghui rounded out the top ten in ninth. Their performances added to a strong showing by athletes from the Chinese mainland at this leg of the World Cup.
"I'm so happy because I had a tough situation here," Gu said after the final. "I changed up my tricks during training, so I think the main focus for me this time was psychological and that was a new challenge. I feel like I believe in myself more."
With this victory, Gu cements her dominance on home snow and carries momentum into the rest of the season.
Reference(s):
Gu Ailing defends women's halfpipe title at FIS Freeski World Cup
cgtn.com
