In a thrilling display of athleticism, Liu Mengting of China secured her first-ever freeski big air World Cup title on Saturday at the Woerthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt, Austria. The victory marks a significant milestone in Liu’s career, highlighting her as one of the sport’s rising stars.
Liu delivered a stunning performance by successfully completing two Double 1080s in her first two runs. Her impressive execution earned her a total score of 170.60 points, nearly guaranteeing her the top podium spot even before the final run. Ultimately, she edged out Italy’s Flora Tabanelli by a mere 0.20 points to claim the title.
“I’m so happy. My first World Cup win, it’s so cool,” Liu exclaimed after her triumphant performance.
This victory makes Liu only the second Chinese freeskier to win a big air World Cup event, following Gu Ailing’s win at the Steamboat stop in Colorado during the 2020-21 season.
Entering the final as the top qualifier, Liu chose a left double cork 1080 safety for her first run and a double cork 1080 in her second, impressing judges with her skill and consistency.
Tabanelli, who had the highest-scoring women’s run of the evening with 91.00 points for her left double cork 1260 safety in the first run, couldn’t maintain her lead. Her subsequent scores of 77.80 and 79.20 in the second and third attempts weren’t enough to surpass Liu.
Despite the narrow loss, Tabanelli celebrated her third podium finish in the 2024-25 campaign and her fifth overall since moving from junior to senior competitions in 2023.
Germany’s Muriel Mohr secured third place with a total of 166.20 points, rounding out a highly competitive women’s field.
In the men’s event, New Zealand’s Luca Harrington dominated the competition. He achieved the evening’s highest score of 94.80 in his first run by executing a switch right triple 1620 esco double grab. Harrington followed up with a right double 1080 bring-back 900 Japan in his second run, clinching the title with a total of 182.60 points. France’s Timothe Sivignon took second place, while Austrian favorite Matej Svancer finished third.
Reference(s):
Liu Mengting of China wins first freeski big air World Cup title
cgtn.com
