Big Air: Tabanelli flies to Olympic bronze

Despite heavy snowfall and a lengthy delay, the women's Big Air final in Livigno offered freestyle skiing at the highest level. In the end, Italy celebrated a bronze medal.

February 16, 2026

From: do

Heavy snowfall blanketed Livigno in a wintry scene, delaying the women's Big Air final at the Milan/Cortina Olympics by more than an hour. It wasn't until 8:45 p.m. that the organizers gave the go-ahead – and even then, thick snowflakes were still dancing across the Italian night sky. But neither the cold nor the delay could deter the world's elite: the aerialists remained undeterred and delivered a spectacular show.

In the midst of this snowstorm, 18-year-old Flora Tabanelli provided a truly memorable Italian moment. The Azzurra kept her composure at the crucial moment and delivered a stunning performance in her third and final run. Her score of 94,25 points in her final jump and 178,25 points overall secured her the bronze medal. Tabanelli had already impressed with consistently strong runs, but it was her spectacular final jump that truly cemented her dream of reaching the podium.

Gold goes to Canada

The Olympic gold medal went to Megan Oldham of Canada, who prevailed with 180,75 points. Favorite Eileen Gu (China) took silver with 179,00 points, finishing second in both slopestyle and big air. Gu had a confident start to the competition but stumbled in her second run. When the pressure was highest in the third round, she once again demonstrated her skill – but ultimately it wasn't enough for gold.

Maria Gasslitter finished in 9th place. © ANSA / SERGEI ILNITSKI

From a South Tyrolean perspective, Maria Gasslitter also impressed in Big Air at her Olympic debut. After reaching the final in Slopestyle, the 19-year-old also made it into the top twelve athletes in this discipline and was once again able to compete against the world's elite. The freestyler from St. Ulrich finished in ninth place with 159,25 points. After two solid runs (78,00 and 81,25 points), Gasslitter was even in fifth place at one point, but was unable to improve her score in her third attempt.