Xu pens dream of retaining Olympic Aerials gold

Pinned to the front door of her Shenyang home with husband Wang Xindi (CHN) is a note that reads: 18 February 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games Aerials champion Xu Mengtao.

And it will take more than adverse weather conditions to halt the Olympic Aerials defending champion. While Women’s Aerials qualification has been postponed a day to 18 February, the finals remain on the second day of the Chinese New Year.

Xu (CHN) has plans to celebrate — inside her home, she has saved room on a wall decorated with over 100 medals from major competitions for mementos from Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park. She has the pedigree to back her goals too, as well as a name — Meng — that translates to “dream”.

With more World Cup wins (35) than any other aerial athlete in history, eight Crystal Globes and the 2013 World Championships title, Xu will be the favourite to land gold. The 35-year-old has been a model of consistency in her latest World Cup campaign, reaching the podium in five of six appearances.

The 25-strong field will start Qualification 1 at 10:00 CET tomorrow, with the top six progressing to the Final 1. The remaining athletes will battle for another six final spots in Qualification 2 at 10:45. The finals get underway at 13:00.

Kong Fanyu (CHN) was second behind Xu in the 2025/26 Crystal Globe standings followed by Americans Kaila Kuhn and Winter Vinecki. Like Xu, all of them are capable of triples and are strong medal contenders.

Kuhn stomped her first clean full-full-full of the season to stun Xu in Lake Placid en route to her first career World Cup victory while Vinecki took her first World Cup win of the season at Lac-Beauport last month with a triple.

Australia will be leaning on Danielle Scott after three-time Crystal Globe winner Laura Peel had to withdraw from what would have been her fourth Games with a knee injury.

Two-time Crystal Globe winner Scott arrives in form, closing out the Olympic qualification window with a gold and a bronze at the World Cup in Lake Placid.

“A gold medal,” the 35-year-old told Olympics.com, when asked what success at the Games would be. “I would love to finally get that gold medal.

“I know I’m capable of it. And having been to three Olympics now, this is really where I can put that experience down.”

With rivals also eyeing gold, Xu will need to be at her best to live up to her name and realize her dreams.