Laax Open 2024: Mathilde Gremaud holds Ailing (Eileen) Gu to claim slopestyle title as Birk Ruud takes the men's event
Reigning Olympic slopestyle champion Gremaud wins in front of a raucous home crowd while Norway's Birk Ruud came out trumps in the men's event.
Freestyle Skiing
Reigning world and Olympic champion Mathilde Gremaud continued her blistering start to the 2023/24 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup season with a solid win in the freestyle skiing women's slopestyle event at Laax Open on Sunday (21 January).
The 23-year-old sealed the win with a statement first run score of 86.00, which went unmatched by the rest of the trying field including Olympic big air and halfpipe champion Ailing (Eileen) Gu making her return to slopestyle for the first time in two years.
The Chinese superstar skier sat second to Gremaud at the halfway mark but was unable to find the necessary margins to overtake the Swiss so, took second with a 78.13 score.
American Jay Riccomini clinched third with 60.46.
In the men's event, Olympic big air champion Birk Ruud came up clutch to win in the Swiss mountains.
Top of the pile after all first runs were completed, the Norwegian's grip on the number one spot did slip after Canadian Max Moffat's second run attempt.
However, the 25-year-old's lead was brief, with Ruud able to improve with a score of 87.01 to re-establish the lead and eventually, take the win.
America's Mac Forehand managed to drive a wedge between Moffat in Ruud to take second with 86.28 ahead of the Canadian in third, with 85.91.