Canada's Oldham wins Olympic freeski big air final, denying Gu gold

Canadian freestyle skier Megan Oldham won the women's Olympic big air final on Monday, denying defending champion Eileen Gu a first gold of the Milan-Cortina Games.

Oldham scored 180.75 at Livigno Snow Park to finish narrowly ahead of China's Gu (179.00) while Italy's Flora Tabanelli won bronze.

Gu, who had a poor second run and risked finishing out of the medals, came back strongly, scoring 89.00 with her final effort to catapult her into the silver medal position.

The field of 12 competitors was reduced to 10 before the start when Swiss pair Mathilde Gremaud and Anouk Andraska pulled out due to injury. 

The start of the final was pushed back by more than an hour due to a blizzard in Livigno.

Gu, who has not competed in big air since winning gold in the event at the 2022 Beijing Games, now has two silver medals at the Milan-Cortina Games, with one event, the halfpipe, to go.

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Her defeat meant China have still not won a gold in Italy.

Gremaud, who won the slopestyle event earlier in the Games, was the bronze medallist in big air at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

"Both fell during training and were injured," said the Swiss skiing federation.

"Anouk Andraska injured her wrist, and Mathilde Gremaud injured her hip. Further medical examinations are under way."

In big air, athletes ride down a slope towards a massive ramp, which they use to soar into the air and perform different aerial tricks.

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