LIVIGNO, Italy Feb 19 – (Reuters) – China’s Eileen Gu recovered from a mistake to qualify for the Winter Olympics freestyle skiing halfpipe final on Thursday, giving the defending champion the chance to take another medal.
Gu crashed on her first run after going over the edge of the U-shaped ramp that defines the halfpipe discipline, but more than made up for it with a well-executed second attempt.
“I’m glad I was able to boost my sense of self-confidence when it mattered most,” she said.
With 12 of the 21 competitors advancing to Saturday’s final, Gu came fifth with a score of 86.5, out of a possible 100.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson via Associated Press
Britain’s Zoe Atkin, the 2025 world champion, led the pack with 91.5 points, followed by China’s Li Fanghui with 90.
Atkin had the upper hand despite pre-match nerves.
“I’m very happy that I was able to control that nervousness a bit and achieve a clear finish,” she said. “It’s honestly a big relief, so I’m super excited for Saturday.”
NASTY CRASH FOR CANADA’S SHARPE
Canada’s Cassie Sharpe, who won halfpipe gold in 2018 and silver in 2022, finished third with 88.25 points but crashed badly during her second run, prompting medical intervention.
The rescue operations lasted several tense minutes, during which the crowd fell silent, but spectators cheered in relief when Sharpe was fit enough to wave her arms as she was taken away on a stretcher.
In Milan Cortina, 22-year-old Gu has already won silver medals in slopestyle and big air, making her the most decorated woman in the history of her sport.
The American-born freeskier, who switched in 2019 to compete for her mother’s native China, also won gold in big air and halfpipe, plus silver in slopestyle, at the 2022 Beijing Games.
In halfpipe, riders slide down a U-shaped snow slope and perform acrobatics in the air. They are awarded points based on length, difficulty, variety of tricks and other factors.
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Lisa Richwine, Editing by Ken Ferris and Pritha Sarkar)
