28 January 2024 – Italy’s Flora Tabanelli won her second freestyle skiing gold at the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Gangwon 2024, winning the big air title on Sunday (28January).
Having won the slopestyle crown earlier at these Youth Olympics, Tabanelli scored a total of 180.0 points with her first two runs, which was enough to beat Australia’s Daisy Thomas (172.75) into silver position. Muriel Mohr of Germany claimed bronze (166.0). The best two scores out of three runs are combined to give each athlete their final total.
Opening Ceremony flag bearer Tabanelli is following in the footsteps of Chinese freeskier Eileen Gu, who claimed YOG gold big air at Lausanne 2020 in addition to halfpipe gold and slopestyle silver. Gu went on to win those titles at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, and Italian fans will hope Tabanelli repeats that feat at the Milano Cortina Games in 2026.
In the men’s event, Charlie Beatty took the gold for Canada with a score of 177.75. Beatty had missed out on a medal in the slopestyle when he failed to put down a clean run, but was delighted to have topped the podium. Japan’s Olly Nicholls was second, with Luke Harrold of New Zealand claiming bronze.
Gangwon 2024 runs until 1 February, with more than 1,800 athletes from 78 NOCs taking part. The Winter Youth Olympic Games is filmed for live television and digital streaming on the Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the Olympics app, with full session replays and highlights also available.