Beijing Olympics: Freestyle skiing-Norway’s Ruud wins Big Air gold as Hall falters

Having landed a switch left triple 1980 mute — five and a half rotations — in the first run, the 21-year-old scored a total of 187.75 and was assured of the title before the third and final jump, which he made holding the Norwegian flag.

Colby Stevenson (183.00) was second for the United States, who were still waiting for their first gold of the Games on the fifth day of competition.

They have not waited that long for their first title since they clinched a maiden gold at the Winter Olympics after seven days at the 1988 Games in Calgary.

Sweden’s Henrik Harlaut (181.00) took the bronze medal with his last jump, his “boom boom boom” celebration breaking the near silence at the Shougang steel mill in sharp contrast to the fanfare that greeted China’s Eileen Gu when she won the women’s title on Tuesday.

After Austrian Matej Svancer, the 17-year-old rising star of freeski, failed to make it to the final, Wednesday’s event was widely predicted to be a duel between Ruud and Hall.

Hall, who won the Winter X Games last month with a double cork 2160 — a whopping six full rotations — failed to grab properly on his switch left double 1800 in the first run.

Ruud, a cliff diving enthusiast and 2016 Youth Games gold medallist, managed a switch left triple 1980 mute in the first run to get 95.75.

“Thank you Norway, everybody. This has been a goal since I was at the NTG U (school) when I was 13, and now we’re here,” he said.

With the two best runs taken into account for the final standings, Hall was already under pressure.

The American scored 92.50 with a left double 1980 Buick — his signature grab — in the second run but gold looked in the bank for Ruud with a 92.00 for his left double bio 1800 mute.

“Dad, you are with me,” said Ruud after landing. The Norwegian’s father died of cancer last year. “Since then I’ve realised that there’s more to life. I’m grateful,” he added.

Ruud’s solid second jump left Hall needing at least 95.25 on his third run but the American crashed at landing his signature switch left double 2160 and he finished eighth on 160.75.

“So I was trying to decide between two tricks, that I should play at all safer, or really go for it,” said Hall.

“I ended up going for my hardest trick which I’m stoked I just went for it but I didn’t quite have enough air time so I couldn’t quite land it, but I just did try and give it all I got and sometimes things don’t go your way, so it’s all good.”

Norwegian Christian Nummedal, who had the best score of the second run, crashed out of medal contention with his last attempt, as did Evan McEachran of Canada.

“I feel fantastic,” he said. “Third time at the Olympics, third place. Fantastic.”

Olympics News Summary

Curling-Italians hope to inspire nation in build-up to home Games

Newly-crowned Olympic mixed doubles champions Italy are hoping their victory in Beijing can pave the way for increased funding and participation in curling back home before they host the Winter Games in 2026. Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner beat Norwegian duo Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten 8-5 to clinch gold at the National Aquatics Centre on Tuesday and win Italy’s first Olympic curling medal.

Hosts China saw their run in the women’s Olympic ice hockey tournament come to an end Tuesday, as Sweden leapfrogged them in the group stage after back-to-back wins. The Swedes struggled in early play at the Beijing Winter Games but defeated Denmark 3-1 on Tuesday, overcoming a flurry of early penalties to advance to the knockout stage, where they will face Canada. China were eliminated along with Denmark.

When American speed skater Casey Dawson lined up for his 1,500 metres race at the Beijing Olympics on Tuesday, he was jet-lagged and wearing someone else’s blades. In the end, even finishing a lowly 28th seemed quite an achievement.

Nathan Chen claimed redemption at the Beijing Games on Tuesday after his world record short programme in the men’s figure skating helped erase the disappointment of his Pyeongchang flop four years ago. The world champion’s stunning 113.97-point skate at Capital Indoor Stadium wiped the previous record of 111.82 set by Japanese rival and Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu at the 2020 Four Continents tournament.

Teenager Eileen Gu nailed a new trick in the final run of the freeski Big Air on Tuesday, delivering host nation China its quickest gold rush at a Winter Games. The Chinese capital claimed the San Francisco-born Gu as a daughter of Beijing after she pulled off an impressive “1620,” a trick she had never done before in competition, to beat French skier Tess Ledeux.

China’s Eileen Gu got her maiden Olympics off to a dream start as the U.S. born teenager landed a tricky jump to become the first freeski Big Air champion at the Beijing Games, taking the host country to the top of the medals table on Tuesday. With the Shougang steel mill in the backdrop, Gu landed in the final run a 1620, a trick only Tess Ledeux had achieved in competition before. The Frenchwoman settled for silver.

REUTERS