Medals update: Qi Guangpu wins gold for hosts in Beijing 2022 freestyle skiing men’s aerials

The People's Republic of China's Qi Guangpu won the men's freestyle skiing aerials competition at Beijing 2022 stomping the most difficult jump seen at an Olympic Games. Performing a quintuple-twisting triple-back somersault – with two twists in the first somersault, one in the second, and two in the third – Qi dropped his helmet-clad head in his hands in disbelief in the finish area of the Genting Snow Park.

The roar from the watching Chinese onlookers when the score of 129.00 popped up confirmed Qi was pretty much nailed on for gold. However, there were three athletes still to go but none were able to beat Qi. This was the 31-year-old's fourth time at an Olympic Winter Games but a first time medal winner in this discipline, following a fourth-place finish at Sochi 2014 and seventh at PyeongChang 2018 and Vancouver 2010.

The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic champion Oleksandr Abramenko performed the same jump but a heavy landing and brief hand touch on the snow proved costly and the Ukrainian finished with a silver medal with a still impressive score of 116.5.

Bronze medallist, the ROC's Ilia Burov dropped to the floor on realising he'd just claimed his first Olympic medal (114.93) besting his brother, Maxim who was one of the favourites for the gold medal but who was surprisingly knocked out in the first qualifying round.

Another of the pre-competition favourites, Qi's compatriot Jia Zongyang, did not make the super-six final after making a rare error and finishing in seventh position.

This is the third medal for People’s Republic of China in aerials after the hosts also won silver in the mixed team – with both Qi and Jia part of the team – and Xu Mengtao's gold in the women’s edition.

Post competition, Qi said: “This is my fourth Olympics. I have learned a lot. This is the time for me to win the gold medal in China, my home country. I am very happy my people are here with me. I can feel they are very happy and excited.”

Abramenko said: "It was an amazing competition today. I'm so happy for this silver and really proud of myself that I've won the first medal for Ukraine at these Games."

On replicating the bronze medal he won at PyeongChang 2018 Burov said: "I'm so happy that I could win a medal again, another bronze after four years. It feels so good."