Xu retains Aerials crown as China celebrate one-three finish

Xu Mengtao (CHN) became the first Aerials athlete to win back-to-back Olympic titles as she led a historic one-three for China at Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park on Wednesday.

Danielle Scott (AUS) prevented a Chinese sweep with the final jump of the day, delivering a back-full-full-full for 102.17 points and bumping Kong Fanyu (101.31) into fourth.

Bronze medalist Shao Qi (CHN) set the tone in the super-six final. First to drop, she landed a back lay-full-full for 101.90 points. The only competitor to opt against performing a back-full-full-full in the one-jump super final, the 24-year-old proved that execution can make up for a lower level of difficulty.

Four competitors broke the 100-point barrier in the super final, underlining how much the sport has progressed.

Eight of the 25-strong Qualification 1 field attempted the back-full-full-full that Xu stomped to win Beijing 2022 gold with 108.61 points. That trick has a difficulty level of 4.293, compared to the back lay-full-full’s 4.028.

With the women pushing each other, Xu knew she had to elevate her game. She reached 11.21 metres in amplitude before making a clean landing to win the heaviest Women’s Aerials competition ever in terms of tricks with 112.90 points.

Entering the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, no Aerials champion since the event’s debut at Lillehammer 1994 has been able to retain gold.

Fellow 35-year-old Scott topped Final 1 with 117.19 points but had to settle for silver. It is the two-time Crystal Globe winner’s first Olympic medal.

Shao saluted the two oldest women in the field as she too claimed her maiden Olympic medal.