Medals update: Xu Mengtao wins emotional gold in Beijing 2022 freestyle skiing women's aerials

An emotional Xu Mengtao screamed repeatedly with delight on winning gold in the women's aerials event at the Genting Snow Park on Monday (14 February) receiving not only love from the crowd but from her competitors too.

In the super-six final, Xu, 31, went into the lead, with a score of 108.61, with just America's Ashley Caldwell to go. Caldwell was part of the US team who won mixed aerials gold to deny the People's Republic of China the much-wanted gold on home snow. This time, the positions were reversed when Caldwell fell on her run to leave her in fourth place (83.71), behind teammate Megan Nick who claimed bronze (93.76). The defending champion from four years ago, Belarus's Hanna Huskova this time claimed silver with a score of 107.95.

Xu enthused afterwards: "I'm just super excited. This is the first gold medal by China in women's aerials and it's just super cool."

"I just wanted to do the best tricks I can do and I did it and that was all."

Huskova said: "I'm very glad to be here at Beijing 2022 and it's amazing to get silver, it's incredible. Very happy, really."

"I have two medals now but my new plan for the future is to get another gold at Milano Cortina 2026."

"(I'm) very overwhelmed but I'm extremely happy," said Nick. "I was very relieved to put down the jump that I did tonight and to get on the podium. I can't even explain how it feels. It's incredible. I am just extremely grateful to be here and for this opportunity.

"It was really hard to watch Ashley slap back because she's been such a role model and she's been jumping so well," she continued. "That was hard and it was bittersweet to have her come in fourth place, but we all walked away from the day."

Two-time world champion Laura Peel struggled with her landings throughout the competition and was unable to muster the form that brought her the 2021 world title. The Australian finished fifth (78.56). Xu's teammate Kong Fanyu, who suffered a nasty fall but came up smiling, came in sixth (59.67).

Peel said of Xu afterwards: “Taotao is an incredible athlete. She's been at this a long time and at the top of the sport for a long time, so I really respect her. I'm happy for her. I think she's been eyeing that Olympic gold for a long time.”

Caldwell concurred. “Taotao has been pushing triples for longer than I have, and I respect her wholeheartedly. For her to win the gold medal in her own country is an incredible accomplishment and it brought tears to my eyes just as much as sadness did.”

The next freestyle skiing events take place Tuesday (15 February) with the women's slopestyle final, men's slopestyle qualification and men's aerials qualification.