Freeskiing
Eileen Gu had to overcome injury and “dig deep” for X Games Superpipe glory
Freeskiing superstar Eileen Gu secured yet another X Games gold medal in Aspen, Colorado – but her triumph came with some drama after she suffered a crash during practice.
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The X Games action in Aspen, Colorado, kept fans on the edge of their seats, with one of the competition’s highlights coming from freeskiing superstar Eileen Gu. The 20-year-old, who lives in California but competes for China, won gold in the X Games Superpipe event.
Eileen Gu at the Laax Open
© Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool
I had to dig deep for this one
Having missed last year’s competition due to an injury sustained in training, it almost looked like history was repeating itself in 2024. During a practice run three days ahead of the X Games event, Gu suffered a crash and hurt her hip. “I could barely walk and was skiing with an unprecedented level of pain," she explained to her fans on Instagram.
Gu, who is known to seek to push her limits, admitted: “I had to dig deep for this one.” After winning the Freeski Halfpipe, she withdrew from the Slopestyle event to give herself some time to recover.
Pain is only temporary
Gu, who is a student at Stanford University parallel to her career as a professional athlete, etched her name into the X Games history books three years ago. At the age of 17, she seized the spotlight, clinching gold in the Slopestyle and Superpipe events, along with a bronze in Big Air.
Absent from Aspen competitions since then, Gu is not one to pass up the opportunity to face her rivals. With the mantra "pain is only temporary" inked on her hand, we eagerly anticipate her swift recovery and return to the competitive arena.
On the half pipe in Kitzsteinhorn
© Syo van Vliet/Red Bull Content Pool
Elsewhere in the X Games action, Tess Ledeux, from France, won gold in the Ski Slopestyle, while Swiss freeskier Mathilde Gremaud, who took silver at the event in Laax, Switzerland, also won gold. Ledeux added another X Games gold to her medal collection by winning Ski Big Air.
Two halfpipe wins for Scotty James
© Brett Hemmings/Red Bull Content Pool
Australian snowboarding superstar Scotty James took home his second halfpipe victory after also winning in Laax. Get more info right here.
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