Flagbearer Charlie Beatty discovers new opportunities in freeski Big Air as he wins Canada’s first gold medal at Gangwon 2024
The Canadian slopestyle specialist got a confidence boost after winning in a discipline he has not focused on for several years, while Italian star Flora Tabanelli completed a double in the women's event.
Freestyle Skiing
Just over a week since carrying Canada’s flag at the Opening Ceremony of the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG), Charlie Beatty got to hear his national anthem played as well.
The freestyle skier put down three solid runs to win the men’s Big Air competition on Sunday (28 January) and Canada’s first gold at the Games.
“Being able to start off with carrying the flag and then ending it with this, it's pretty big for me and it means a lot,” Beatty told Olympics.com at the Welli Hilli Park Resort. “It's a big honour always to stand up on the podium listening to your national anthem like that. I'm proud I was able to put some stuff down today and end up on the top of the podium.”
Even before landing his final run, Beatty already knew he had won the gold. Executing that third try cleanly and adding an extra two points to his final score made the win even sweeter.
His right hand raised high in the air, Beatty slid to the finish area to see his total score increase to 177.75 points, putting him firmly ahead of Japan’s silver medallist Olly Nicholls and New Zealand’s bronze medallist Luke Harrold.
“I've never really had that before. I've never had the victory lap like that,” Beatty said. “Getting the assurance that I won and just getting the pressure off me was a huge relief. And being able to put the last one down with no pressure was really cool.”
For Beatty it was a very different feeling from his earlier slopestyle competition. A junior world champion in the discipline, the Canadian was the top qualifier going into the final, but struggled with his three runs and finished at the bottom of the table.
Charlie Beatty’s Big Air win: “It's something I never knew I really needed”
Unlike slopestyle, Big Air was not considered a gold medal chance for Beatty. Even the skier was surprised by the final result as he rarely competes in Big Air.
Until Gangwon 2024, he has competed at three Nor-Am Cups and the 2022 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in the discipline, placing below the Top 15 each time.
“It means a lot for me, not having a Big Air competition for the last couple of years,” Beatty said. “It was a little different going into it just because I'm used to doing slopestyle. And now having the Big Air win, it's definitely something I never knew I really needed. It's pretty reassuring for me to have that victory and, knowing that I can have confidence in both disciplines now to charge it.”
Adding extra motivation for his runs at the Welli Hilli Park Ski Resort was the sight of his injured teammate and roommate Matthew Lepine watching from the sidelines with his arm in a sling.
Lepine, a junior silver medallist in Big Air, got injured during official training in the event.
“He's definitely a good buddy of mine," Beatty said. "To see him go down in practice was a little tough for me, not having a teammate there with me along the ride, but he's supportive and he's hyped for me, and I know he's going to come back stronger and he's going to get it.”
In the earlier women's event, Italy's Flora Tabanelli made it two-for-two in her freeski events as she added a gold in Big Air to her earlier slopestyle win.
How to watch freestyle skiing at Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games
Action from all 13 competition days at Gangwon 2024, including every competition taking place at the Welli Hilli Park Ski Resort, will be streamed on dedicated feeds on Olympics.com and on the official Olympics app for mobile devices.
You can also watch full replays on demand on Olympics.com and catch highlights, reaction interview clips, news articles, and full results sections across the website and official Olympics social media accounts.