Tess Ledeux aiming for history-making Big Air gold at Beijing 2022
The French champion shone during the qualification of the Beijing 2022 women’s freeski Big Air competition, landing a 1260 double cork to end the day in second place behind Canada's Megan Oldham.
Freestyle skiier Tess Ledeux will take part in the first ever final of Big Air in Olympic Winter Games history, which takes place on Tuesday (8 February). The French athlete will compete against the big star from the People’s Republic of China Ailing (Eileen) Gu who qualified in 5th position. During the qualifiers, Ledeux managed her signature jump on her first run, a 1260 double cork, achieving a huge 90.50 points.
On her second jump, she completed a switch 1080 for a total of 171 points, right behind Canadian Megan Oldham on 171.25.
Asked about her feelings after the qualifiers, the native of Bourg-Saint-Maurice said: “Just amazing, the setup is incredible, I’m just so happy to be here.
"I’m so proud of me, I’m super happy and I’m nervous for tomorrow but it’s so exciting too. So, we will see - fingers crossed.”
Ledeux is aware that she is not the only contender for gold and she will be up against fierce competition. “The level is just incredible this year. I will do my best and we will see tomorrow.”
To get a better picture of the breadth of Ledeux’s talent, it’s important to remember that at only 20 years old, she is already a two-time world champion (slopestyle in 2017 and Big Air in 2019). The 2021 overall world champion has also won eight World Cups plus the Big Air event at the Winter X Games 2020. She is also the first woman who managed a 1620 double cork in competition, last January at the X Games. Not bad for an athlete most would consider to be at the beginning of her career.
Becoming one of the best athletes in the world at such a young age has given the athlete an incredible level of experience and maturity, an undeniable asset for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
“Today I am 20 years old and I have a lot of experience," she explained to Olympics.com a few weeks ago. "I have more than five years in elite sports and have already been to some big competitions. I have already faced some hard blows in competitions… some incredible blows… but they have helped me to grow and evolve. I think of it as more of an asset.”
Even though she has carried her excellent form into the Olympic season, with first and second-place finishes in Big Air in Chur, Switzerland and Steamboat, USA, the cousin of Kevin Rolland – a bronze medallist at Sochi 2014 in the freeski halfpipe – the French star remains modest when talking about her ambitions in Beijing 2022.
"To come back satisfied from Beijing, I have to be able to put everything that I am working on in place," she said. "I’ve had some good seasons and I feel good right now. I know that I have the ability to win a medal but there are so many things separating me from the medal. I try to focus on the things I can master: my technique and my skiing. And then what is supposed to happen will happen… or not!”.