Freestyle ski big air final: Men's and women's preview, schedule and stars to watch

Freestyle ski big air qualification is done and we have our 12 men's and women's finalists on the Big Air Shougang at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Canadian skier Megan Oldham topped the women's qualifiers with French flier Tess Ledeux close behind in second.

Triple-threat Ailing (Eileen) Gu lost her ski in Run 2, but picked herself up to put down a safe third ski to qualify in fifth place.

Reigning big air World Champion Anastasia Tatalina (ROC) lay down a marker too qualifying in third.

On the men's side it was Birk Ruud and Alex Hall who topped the list in a stacked men's field, but with top stars keeping plenty of tricks up their sleeves, the gold medal final is anyone's game.

Big Air Shougang is the world's only permanent, city-based big air venue and skiers have been raving about it, with many athletes landing tricks for the first time during practice.

Expect them to go even bigger for the final.

Big grabs, big tricks, big scores and big drama: Get ready with this preview, guide to the stars, and schedule.

Read on!

Women's Big air final preview and stars to watch

Megan Oldham had the best score of 171.25 on Monday 7 February with France's Tess Ledeux just a fraction (0.25) behind her.

20-year-old Canadian Oldham stated her claim to the Olympic podium

Ledeux is 2017 slopestyle World Champion, 2019 big air World Champion, last season’s slopestyle crystal globe winner, and just a couple of weeks ago claimed the X Games titles in both big air and slopestyle.

She's out to make history with big air gold in Beijing and landed an incredible 1260 double cork on Monday.

Gu is favourite for many in all three freestyle ski disciplines of big air, slopestyle and halfpipe at Beijing.

And that's hardly a surprise as she is reigning slopestyle World Champion, and podiumed in all seven competitions she’s entered this season.

That includes four halfpipe wins in four competitions to sweep the World Cup season series and claim the crystal globe.

Growing up in California, the 18-year-old decided to represent China and not the U.S. in Beijing, and the Chinese crowd was right behind her at the Shougang, gasping with relief as she landed her third run to qualify in fifth.

She fell on a right-side 900 and lost a ski on Run 2.

“It was a right 9,” she said. “I've been doing right 9 since I was 14. I know I can do that trick.”

But she toned it down on a clean third run and that with a double cork 1080 saw her into the final.

But Gu won't have it easy in the final either, reigning big air World Champion Anastassia Tatalina (ROC) qualified in third place.

And both reigning gold and silver medallists from PyeongChang 2018 - Sarah Hoefflin and Mathilde Gremaud, both made it too.

And then there's Norway's Sandra Eie, Canada’s Olivia Asselin, Joanne Killi of Norway, and Kirsty Muir representing Great Britain.

Who qualified for the women's ski big air final?

Here are the 12 qualifiers for tomorrow's final and their scores:

1. Megan Oldham (CAN) 171.25
2. Tess Ledeux (FRA) 171.00
3. Anastasia Tatalina (ROC) 163.25
4. Sandra Eie (NOR) 162.00
5. GU Ailing Eileen (CHN) 161.25
6. Mathilde Gremaud (SUI) 159.25
7. Kirsty Muir (GBR) 157.50
8. Darian Stevens (USA) 152.00
9. Sarah Hoefflin (SUI) 149.50
10. Johanne Killi (NOR) 148.25
11. Olivia Asselin (CAN) 147.75
12. Anni Karava (FIN) 144.50

Women's ski big air final schedule: When and what time to watch

The women's big air ski final takes place on Tuesday 8 February on the Big Air Shougang in the Shijingshan District in Beijing, starting at 10am local time.

Here's the full schedule and times in Beijing:

10:00 Women's Freeski Big Air Final Run 1

10:22 Women's Freeski Big Air Final Run 2

10:45 Women's Freeski Big Air Final Run 3

Men's Big air final preview and stars to watch

Birk Ruud? The Norwegian topped qualification on Monday ahead of Wednesday's final.

The 21-year-old prodigy scored a massive 187.75. the Youth Olympic Games slopestyle gold medallist in 2016 and double X Games champ is now after his first Olympic Winter Games gold in Beijing.

Read how his visualisation helps, on mental strength, and how he's coped with the death of his father here.

USA's Alex Hall showed us that famous Buick grab on Monday and he'll reach deeper into his bag of tricks on Wednesday, there's a lot more to come from this four-time X Games champion.

Hall has been in flying form: Big air runner-up in Steamboat, Mammoth slopestyle winner, and three medals at the X Games - including the big air win.

Two Swedes finished third and fourth in qualification, Oliwer Magnusson and Henrik Harlaut always bring the fun and have positioned themselves for a run at a medal in a couple of days.

But there are so many more contenders, and any one of the 12 qualifiers has a shot at gold.

We won't see reigning slopestyle world champ Andri Ragettli who finished 14th, outside the 12 qualifying spots.

Who qualified for the men's ski big air final?

Here are the 12 qualifiers for Wednesday's men's final and their scores:

1. Birk Ruud (NOR) 187.75
2. Alex Hall (USA) 180.25
3. Oliwer Magnusson (SWE) 177.25
4. Henrik Harlaut 176.50
5. Colby Stevenson (USA) 174.25
6. Christian Nummedal (NOR) 171.50
7. Tormod Frostad (NOR) 171.25
8. Mac Forehand (USA) 171.00
9. Javier Lliso (ESP) 170.75
10. Leonardo Donaggio (ITA) 170.50
11. Evan McEachran (CAN) 170.25
12. Jesper Tjader (SWE) 170.00

Men's ski big air final schedule: When and what time to watch

The men's big air ski final takes place on Wednesday 9 February on the Big Air Shougang in the Shijingshan District in Beijing, starting at 10am local time.

Here's the full schedule and times in Beijing:

11:00 Women's Freeski Big Air Final Run 1

11:22 Women's Freeski Big Air Final Run 2

11:45 Women's Freeski Big Air Final Run 3