Chinese-born American Eileen Gu finished her final jump in 1620, beating Tess Ledeux of France and winning the first of what she hoped would be three gold medals. gold medal in the women’s air freestyle major.
Nicknamed the “Snow Princess,” Gu was one of the biggest local names at the Beijing Olympics. She is a lover of big air medals, sloppy style and halfpipe. Her first gold stab was down to the final lap.
Ledeux was the only other woman to ever hit 1620 – 4 ½ revolutions – in the competition, and she stomped in place with a slight wobble upon landing in Round 1.
Gu hinted after Monday’s qualifiers that she could match Ledeux. With everything on the line, she did.
The 18-year-old from San Francisco screamed as she landed, then collapsed when her score of 94.50 was announced.
Ledeux managed to improve on her second run in Round 3, entering the backward jump for 1440. However, she was a little shaken when she landed, clearing the way for Yellow Gu.
