Eileen Gu of China has clinched the women’s freeski title at the first-ever Snow League Freeski World Champions on Saturday night at the Season One Finale.
Gu, an Olympic champion, secured the overall title earlier in the day by advancing through the quarterfinals. She capped her night with an event win under the lights, finishing ahead of Canada’s Amy Fraser in second place and Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin, who took third in her Snow League debut.
Gu dominated the season with 200 league points, having won both major Freeski events in China and LAAX.
At a press conference after the awards ceremony, Gu was asked about skipping the Academy Awards to compete in LAAX. She responded, “There will be another red carpet, but there will not be another inaugural championship.”
Gu, the most decorated freeskier in history with six Olympic medals, reflected on the significance of her win: “I take a lot of meaning in being the first to do things. To be a part of this League means so much to me—to be an athlete ambassador for this League is really exciting. I believe so much in the vision and the direction that it’s pushing the sport.”
Snow League founder and three-time Olympic champion Shaun White presented the World Championship trophies to Gu. The top three overall Snow League freeski athletes shared US$80,000 in prize money, with Gu receiving US$25,000. Second-place finishers took home US$10,000, while third-place finishers were awarded US$5,000.
