Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud successfully defended her Olympic freeski slopestyle title on Monday, edging Eileen Gu for gold for the second consecutive Winter Games at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
In freeski slopestyle, athletes perform a series of acrobatic tricks over rails and jumps, with judges scoring runs based on difficulty, execution and overall flow. In Olympic competition, only the best score from three runs counts toward the final standings.
Gremaud clinched victory with a score of 86.96, recorded from her best of three runs in the final. Gu, competing for China, settled for silver with a best score of 86.58, narrowly missing out on the top step of the podium.
Gu entered her final run needing a standout performance to overtake her Swiss rival, but her title hopes ended abruptly when she slipped off the opening rail and crashed into the snow, bringing her run to an early halt.
With gold secured after Gu’s fall, Gremaud celebrated by draping a Swiss flag around her neck like a cape as she completed her victory lap, before embracing teammates and jubilant supporters at the finish area.
Repeat of a Tight Olympic Duel
Gremaud, who turned 26 a day before the final, has now defeated Gu twice in Olympic finals by razor-thin margins — 0.33 points at the 2022 Winter Games and 0.38 points in 2026.
Canada’s Megan Oldham completed the podium, claiming the bronze medal.
Gu’s fall came on the same rail that troubled her during Saturday’s qualifying round, where she also failed to complete her opening run. Gremaud, by contrast, topped the qualification standings and carried that momentum into the final.
Career Highlights for Both Skiers
Born in the United States but representing China, Gu rose to global prominence at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where she won three medals, including gold in freeski halfpipe and big air. She will now turn her focus to defending those titles later in the Games.
Gremaud’s growing medal collection includes slopestyle silver at the 2018 Winter Olympics, big air bronze in 2022, and two world championship titles in slopestyle in 2023 and 2025, among several other honours.
