Winter sports history just got rewritten! 🎿 Thirty-five-year-old Chinese freeski legend Xu Mengtao defied gravity and expectations today, clinching gold in women's aerials at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. This marks China's second gold of the 2026 Games – and Xu's crowning achievement in her fifth Olympic journey. 🚀
Four Chinese athletes stormed into the finals, but only Xu, Shao Qi, and Kong Fanyu survived the brutal first-round cut. Facing off against Australia's Danielle Scott and two Americans, Xu stuck a near-flawless second jump scoring 112.90 points – over 10 points clear of silver medalist Scott. 🥈
The podium turned red-white-red as Shao Qi grabbed bronze (101.90) while Kong Fanyu narrowly missed medals at fourth (101.31). Team China now leads the aerials medal count, proving their dominance in this high-flying discipline. 👑
"This medal isn't just mine – it's for every person who believed in me through five Olympic cycles," Xu told reporters post-event, her voice cracking with emotion. For Gen-Z fans watching globally, this veteran just schooled everyone in #PersistanceGoals. 💪
