Olympic champion Xu disappointed with National Winter Games silver

Hohhot, Feb 24 (IANS) Beijing Winter Olympics champion Xu Mengtao secured a silver in freestyle skiing aerials at China’s 14th National Winter Games. Despite delivering a top performance, errors by teammates affected their chances for gold.

Xu scored an impressive 93.58 points in the final round, but Team Inner Mongolia’s Shao Qi and Li Boyan outperformed, claiming first place. Team Jilin’s Li Tianma clinched bronze with a flawless execution.

After a determined performance aiming for gold, Xu attempted the challenging bFFF in both runs, releasing pressure with howls of air. But errors in landing by teammates cost them the crucial opportunity turning the tide.

Expressing regret and tears, Xu voiced disappointment over missing out on gold, especially on teammate Jia’s birthday. She advocated for a delayed competition citing bad weather conditions that affected the previous round.

Despite missing out on further medals due to a fall in her final jump, Xu remained focused on future competitions. Meanwhile, gold medalist Kong Fanyu is already eyeing the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics, confident in her preparation.