Eileen Gu wins freestyle silver at Canada Winter Olympics

Defending Olympic champion Eileen Gu took silver in freeski big air in the Milan Cortina Games when Canada’s Megan Oldham won the gold medal Monday night.

Oldham topped the 10-woman final with a combined score of 180.75 points on two jumps. Gu was next with 179. Italy’s Flora Tabanelli took bronze, four months after tearing her ACL.

This is the second medal for Oldham, 24, at these Winter Games. He won bronze in slopestyle last week.

In 2022, Gu became the first freestyle skier to win three medals in a single Games after taking gold in big air and halfpipe and silver in slopestyle at age 18.

Gu, who was born in the United States but competes for his mother’s native China, has won five medals in two Olympic appearances. She also won silver in slopestyle last week and has a shot at a sixth medal on Saturday when she attempts to defend her halfpipe gold.

Gu had not competed in a major aerial competition since triumphing at the Beijing Games, concentrating on his other events. But there are enough similarities between big air and elopestyle that it found its groove quickly.

Oldham took gold with his first two jumps. He suffered an inconsequential fall on his third jump, the last of the final, which became a victory lap.

Oldham and Gu hugged each other before taking the medal podium.

The initial final field of 12 was reduced to two after Mathilde Gremaud and Anouk Andraska, both from Switzerland, were injured practicing jumping before the final. Gremaud, who defended her slopestyle gold last week, injured her hip and had to be stretchered off. Andraska hurt her wrist.

In the air, skiers perform three jumps and must perform two. Your scores include points for difficulty and execution.

Monday’s final was delayed more than an hour due to a snow storm.