LIVIGNO, Italy — Reigning Olympic silver medalist Eileen Gu faced an immediate setback during the women’s slopestyle qualifying at the Winter Olympics on Saturday when she fell on her initial run. The Chinese freeskiing sensation lost balance upon exiting the first rail feature, resulting in a tumble that compromised her score potential.
Demonstrating characteristic resilience, the 22-year-old athlete promptly recovered and completed her routine despite the early error. This performance places significant pressure on Gu’s second and final qualifying attempt, where she must achieve a top-twelve score to advance to Monday’s championship final.
The California-born skier, who represents China internationally, arrived at these Games with established superstar status following her remarkable performance at Beijing 2022. During those home-soil Olympics, Gu narrowly missed achieving an unprecedented triple gold accomplishment, securing victory in both halfpipe and big air events while earning silver in slopestyle.
All eyes now turn to Gu’s crucial second run as she attempts to maintain her medal contention in the slopestyle discipline, an event that has previously showcased both her technical precision and creative flair on the Olympic stage.