Ruud head and shoulders above in big air gold medal win
Feb 09, 2022·Freeski Park & Pipe
Freeski big air’s Olympic debut closed out on Wednesday at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games with a heavy showing from the 12-strong men’s field, where top qualifier and pre-competition favourite Birk Ruud of Norway rose to the occasion to pull off a dominant gold medal win.
Clear skies, no wind, above-zero temperatures and a jump that was purpose-built for progression at the Shougang Big Air venue meant that expectations for the men’s competition were sky-high coming into Wednesday, and while there were some notable competitors who weren’t able to put it down two clean runs when it counted most, nearly every skier on the start list stomped at least one exceptional run in what was arguably the highest-level big air competition of all time.
21-year-old Ruud came out firing in run one, perfectly putting down a switch left triple cork 1980 mute that he had been saving up to unveil just for finals. Earning himself a score of 95.75 that would hold up as the highest-scoring trick of the competition, the Norwegian announced early on that he had come to play.
Ruud followed his exceptional first hit with a second that wasn’t far behind, stomping the signature left double bio 1800 mute that he had first dialled in on the very same jump two years ago at the Air + Style big air World Cup, scoring a 92.00 for his second trick and earning a two-jump score of 187.75 that wouldn’t be touched by the rest of the field’s third run.
It was, in short, a dream come true for Ruud, who had been visualizing such a moment since well before he knew that freeski big air would be an Olympic competition.
“When I went to school in 2013, I put down a goal,” Ruud said in the post-competition press conference, “Olympic big air and slopestyle didn’t even exist then, but I made this promo video to promote my sport and I said my goal was to win big air and slopestyle in the 2022 Olympics.
“When I got to 14 I painted on the wall ‘Olympic winner 2022'. Having that goal for so long it’s just been inside my head. I almost made it part of myself and I’ve been working really hard and smart as well. I guess it was meant to be.”
As the last competitor to drop in on the event and with the win locked up, Ruud was allowed a victory lap, where he threw a casual left double bio 1440 mute with a Norwegian flag in hand. Once stopped in the finish, Ruud address the camera, holding up a bracelet on his arm which was given to him by his father.
“I lost my father to cancer in April 2021,” Ruud continued in the press conference, “That’s tough, but we have all got something (we’ve gone through). He is always with me in my heart and my parents have made me who I am.
“After my father got sick I had to grow up and look at the bigger picture in life. Family to me is everything and that has helped me not to put my whole life into this competition, but to think that this is more of an opportunity. I’m thankful for all the time I had with my dad. I still have a lot of people who support me and I’m thankful for that.”
Second place on the day went to the USA’s Colby Stevenson, who has emerged as one of the world’s absolute best slopestyle skiers over the past couple of seasons, but who had never hit a major big air podium until Wednesday.
After falling on run one, Stevenson stomped a nosebutter triple cork 1620 Japan on his second hit, and then followed that up with a switch left double 1800 cuban on his third and final run for a two-jump score of 183.00 to take the silver medal.
Stevenson suffered life-threatening injuries in a car crash five years ago, and that fact that he’s able to ski at all is something doctors couldn’t have promised him when he was going through his recovery following the accident.
“Your character is really defined in those tougher times in your life,” Stevenson said from the press conference, “Even though you're dealt bad cards, you're going to look at that in a positive light and move forward and still push towards your dreams, even though they seem so far out of reach.
"Each day I try to focus on the little things in life. It helps me stay in the moment and be grateful for the little things. Out here today, it was the same kind of mentality. I was focusing on the beauty of where we were and being with my friends in such an amazing venue. It helps you ski your best when all of these outside things are not clouding your thoughts. It’s just important to focus on the things you do have. And that helps you ski your best.”
Third place on the day went to the elder statesmen of the finals and one of the most influential freeskiers of all time, as 30 year old Henrik Harlaut of Sweden finally earned his piece of Olympic hardware in his third go-round at the Games.
Landing a switch left double bio 1800 safety on his second run, Harlaut than dropped an improved redux of his first hit when he put down a perfect left nosebutter triple cork 1620 safety - a trick he himself pioneered years ago, and which Stevenson was inspired by in his silver medal performance.
With a score of 181.00 ,Harlaut knocked his countryman and reigning big air World Champion Oliwer Magnusson off of the podium and grabbed one of the last freeski prizes needed to complete his trophy case in the process.
"It's super wicked to finally get a medal from the Olympics as I had the potential and level to get a medal at the previous two,” Harlaut said, “To do it now…three time’s a charm. It was so nice, and at the very first time with freeski big air at the Olympics it's awesome to be part of the podium.”
Freeski competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games now continues in Genting Snow Park, where the men’s and women’s big air field will shift for training ahead of slopestlye competition. Freeski slopestyle qualification will begin with women’s qualifications on February 13th, women’s finals and men’s qualifications on the 14th, and men’s finals on the 15th.
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