Lausanne, Switzerland, January 20, 2020: The world’s best young freestyle skiers revelled in the chance to inspire a new generation as crowds of kids packed the slopes for the women’s freeski halfpipe and men’s freeski slopestyle finals on Monday.
The rescheduling of the slopestyle finals from Sunday gave the relatively recent sport an enhanced stage and, with schools from all over the region flocking to the Leysin Park and Pipe Centre, it took full advantage.
“I was high-fiving kids on the way up,” women’s halfpipe gold medal winner Eileen Gu Ailing of China said. “You’ve got to put the focus on the next generation.”
Silver medallist in the women’s freeski slopestyle, Gu, 16, was irrepressible on the halfpipe. She topped qualification before dominating the final. Her 93.00-point second run in the final was 7.34 clear of compatriot Li Fanghui in second, with the USA’s Hanna Faulhaber taking bronze.
“One of the main reasons I switched to China was I felt like I had more opportunity to inspire young girls,” said Gu, who grew up in San Francisco with her Chinese mother. “And I think I have definitely had that impact.”
When asked if she had a specific message for those who had just watched her storm to a YOG title, Gu was straight to the point.
“Don’t be afraid to try,” she said. “Try a new trick, a new sport, sit next to someone new at lunch, make a new friend. That is how we are going to change the world.”
Source: Olympic Information Service
