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Eileen Gu competes throughout the girls’s freestyle ski halfpipe qualification rounds on the Winter Olympics on Thursday (Wednesday night time PT) in Zhangjiakou, China. Gu, who was born and raised in San Francisco however competes for China, had the 2 prime scores of the day as she pursues her third medal of those Olympics. (AP Picture/Lee Jin-man)
By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports activities Author
ZHANGJIAKOU, China — Eileen Gu’s finest trick may not have even been within the halfpipe. It was convincing herself she wasn’t exhausted.
“I used to be journaling final night time and I wrote some affirmations,” Gu mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘I'm contemporary. I'm not drained. I'm excited.’”
Gu turned the web page on drained on Thursday (Wednesday night time PT) and recorded the highest rating not as soon as, however twice in a aggressive girls’s ski halfpipe qualifier as she chases her third medal on the Beijing Olympics.
Later, in males’s qualifying, 2014 silver medalist Gus Kenworthy squeezed into the ultimate. He put down a run that positioned him within the prime 12, then needed to wait for nearly an hour to see if his rating would maintain up. It did. He completed twelfth to earn the final spot in Saturday’s last.
Aaron Blunck of america completed first in males’s qualifying, adopted by Nico Porteous of New Zealand and Birk Irving of the U.S. Two-time defending champion David Smart certified in fourth.
Gu completed first within the girls’s occasion regardless that she was holding again.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already has a gold from massive air and a silver from slopestyle. The San Francisco-raised Gu is bidding to develop into the primary action-sports athlete to seize three medals on the similar Winter Video games.
Gu performed it protected – by her requirements, anyway – within the first of two runs and nonetheless scored a 93.75. Hardly content material, she went even greater on her last run and scored a 95.50 on what was a cool and crisp morning on the Genting Snow Park.
To suppose, much more massive air and greater methods await.
“I’m not going all out,” Gu mentioned after her second run. “I've a number of extra methods I’d wish to have the chance to do.”
It was a aggressive occasion with 10 of the freestyle skiers who moved on scoring 82.25 or larger. None, although, jumped into the 90s like Gu did – twice.
Rachael Karker of Canada was in second place with a rating of 89.50 and Kelly Sildaru of Estonia, the bronze-medal winner in slopestyle, wound up third with 87.50. Safely in, Sildaru skipped her last run.
The highest 12 superior to the ultimate on Friday (Thursday night time PT).
“I’m super-happy to make the finals and to place an excellent run down,” Karker mentioned. “I’ve undoubtedly acquired a variety of adrenaline going.”
Defending champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada was in sixth place. She’s returning to robust type after tearing a ligament in her knee and fracturing her femur a bit over a yr in the past. Three Individuals made the ultimate with Carmel’s Brita Sigourney – a 2018 Olympic bronze medalist – main the way in which in eighth place. Hanna Faulhaber and Carly Margulies are proper behind her.
“I really ended up breaking a boot proper earlier than my first run, after which on my first run I broke a binding,” the 17-year-old Faulhaber mentioned. “So we’re hanging in there, however simply glad to be right here and glad to have the ability to put down two fairly good runs.”
Gu used the second run as a possibility to iron out some new methods. She landed every part – one other confidence-building journey by way of the halfpipe for the closely favored freestyler.
“It’s actually enjoyable for me as a result of it’s all about stream,” she mentioned.
The halfpipe may simply be her finest occasion, too. Gu has gained every World Cup halfpipe contest this season together with the Dew Tour. As well as, Gu captured halfpipe gold on the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Switzerland.
The grind of competitions and coaching classes – generally a bit bit of every on the identical day – has began to put on on the Stanford-bound 18-year-old.
“It’s undoubtedly not straightforward. However I ran a half-marathon each week over the summer season to organize,” Gu defined. “I really feel pleased with the work I’ve finished to construct up my endurance base, so that is what I’ve been making ready for.
“The joke is I’m really exhausted. I’m not contemporary. However I used to be writing in my journal to attempt to persuade myself that I used to be – and it’s working. I slept properly final night time.”
An image-perfect run for Eileen Gu!
A 95.50 in her second qualifying run within the girls's halfpipe. #WinterOlympics
📺 : @USA_Network and @peacockTV
💻 : https://t.co/DaRR18atEapic.twitter.com/BjZyRIsP3n— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 17, 2022
18-year-old Eileen Gu earns a 93.75 to take first place after her first halfpipe run 👏
📺: NBC, @USA_Network & @peacockTV | #WinterOlympicspic.twitter.com/wvV59Z0wIq
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) February 17, 2022
Staff USA's Brita Sigourney, who gained Olympic bronze in halfpipe in 2018, places down a robust first run 👊
📺: NBC, @USA_Network, @peacockTV | #WinterOlympicspic.twitter.com/QVD8rdiZlK
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) February 17, 2022