Chinese freestyle skiing legend Xu Mengtao opened the Milano Cortina 2026 season in spectacular fashion, securing her 30th career World Cup gold in women's aerials at Ruka, Finland, on December 6, 2025. The 35-year-old Beijing 2022 Olympic champion executed a daring back full-full-full jump – the night's most complex maneuver – to claim victory with 89.29 points.
Canada's Marion Thenault took silver (82.48 points) while China's Chen Meiting earned bronze (75.31) in the season-opening FIS Freestyle World Cup event. Xu's triumph reinforces her status as the sport's dominant force ahead of potential Winter Games history: "My goal is to do my best at the Olympic Games," she stated, hinting at a record fifth Olympic appearance.
The victory marks a significant milestone in China's winter sports development, coming three years after Beijing hosted Asia's first Winter Olympics. With the Milano Cortina Games approaching in February 2026, Xu's performance signals strong momentum for Chinese athletes in snow sports.
