Oldham celebrates her gold, Canada's second of the Winter Olympics.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Canadian freestyle skier Megan Oldham earned double redemption on a snowy Monday evening in Livigno, winning her second Olympic medal, this time in big air – and this time gold.
Not only did she place first in the 10-athlete final, she humbled Eileen Gu, the American-Chinese superstar athlete and global luxury brand ambassador who was competing for China. Gu finished with a silver, a disappointment for her after having picked up the same colour medal last week in slopestyle.
Oldham, 24, who is from Parry Sound, Ont., won bronze in slopestyle last week, handing Canada one of the first medals of the Games.
In Beijing in 2022, Oldham narrowly missed the podium in both slopestyle and big air. Relentless training and drive paid off, vaulting her onto the top of the podium in Milan Cortina.
Oldham edged out defending big air champion Eileen Gu of China for the Olympic title.Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Her big air win gave Canada its second gold of the Milan Cortina Games; on Sunday, Quebec freestyle superstar Mikaël Kingsbury placed first in dual moguls in what was the last Olympic run of his career.
Oldham did not enter the three-run big air competition in her best physical form, making her victory all the more compelling. On Feb. 9, in the slopestyle final in Livigno, she crashed hard on one of her three runs and later told reporters that she was in pain. The injuries turned out be light and she used the following few days to regain her confidence.
She also crashed fairly hard in the big air final. But the sport’s scoring system, like that of slopestyle, only measures the best two of three runs. Knowing her fall did not matter, she raised her arms in celebration as she slid in the snow. At that point, she knew she had won gold.
Prime Minister Mark Carney was quick to congratulate her on social media, calling her win “incredible.”
Flora Tabanelli of Italy performed surprisingly well. She took bronze and came close to unseating Gu for second place.
Oldham’s gold is Canada’s first in freestyle skiing big air, which made its Olympic debut in the 2022 Beijing Games.
Her first two runs were technically superb, enough to nudge her over Gu’s tally. Oldham’s score of 180.75 put her only 1.75 points ahead of Gu.
Oldham’s first run saw her perform a backwards entry to launch herself into a switch double cork 1260 – three and a half rotations – for which she earned enough points to put her in second place. On her second run, she pushed herself into the lead with a double cork 1260 with a mute grab, a maneuver that involves grabbing the toe-side edge of the ski with the opposite hand.
Silver medalist China's Eileen Gu, left, hugs Oldham.Lindsey Wasson/The Associated Press
After her second run, she was virtually untouchable. Gu’s best two performances would require near perfection to overcome her Canadian rival.
In big air, skiers barrel down a steep slope towards a massive steep ramp which propels them into the air. They are judged on the creativity and technical expertise of their aerial tricks, as well as the elegance of their landings. Many of the competitors soar off the ramp backwards.
They typically land at speeds of 60 kilometres per hour or greater and are airborne for between two and two and a half seconds, which gives them enough time for as many as four rotations at various angles.
The only other Canadian in the big air final, Naomi Urness, 21, of Saint-Jérôme, Que., finished sixth.
Gu has one more chance to leave Milan Cortina with a gold medal. On Thursday, she competes in halfpipe, where she is the defending Olympic champion. In the Beijing Games, she won two freestyle golds and a silver, earning her fame and making her one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.
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