China's two-time Olympic gold medalist Gu Ailing made a stunning opening run in the women's halfpipe qualifier at the Chongli leg of the 2025 FIS Freeski World Cup, locking in the top seed for Saturday's final at the Secret Garden Resort in Zhangjiakou. 🏂
A total of 26 skiers took two runs each, with only the best score counting and the top 10 advancing to the medal round. China fielded five athletes: Gu, Li Fanghui, Zhang Kexin, Liu Yishan and Zhou Siyu.
On her first run, Gu laid down a clean, stylish pass for 86.50 points to sit second on the leaderboard. But teammate Li Fanghui raised the bar with an 88.25, taking the early lead.
Gu responded on her second attempt, boosting her amplitude and technical tricks. The judges rewarded her effort with a jaw-dropping 92.75—the highest score of the day—snatching the top spot in qualifying! 🎿
Li finished third overall, and Zhang secured fifth place, sending all three into tomorrow's final. Liu and Zhou placed 11th and 15th, just missing the cut.
With home snow advantage and an electric crowd behind them, China's stars will look to turn qualifying success into medals this weekend. Stay tuned for the showdown! ✨
Reference(s):
Gu Ailing cruises into women's halfpipe final at FIS Freeski World Cup
cgtn.com
