And suddenly a world star is training at your side

Maria Gasslitter is South Tyrol's great freestyle hope for the Olympics. Although the 18-year-old hasn't yet competed in a World Cup race, the freestyler from Ortisei excelled in the European Cup last season. She won the overall ranking with five victories in nine competitions and also took home the small globe in slopestyle and big air. As a reward, the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) promoted her to the A team, where a world-class athlete, Flora Tabanelli, is already training.

The duo has been in Scharnitz for the past few days. In the summer, the community near Innsbruck is a freestyle mecca thanks to the so-called Banger Park. Stars of the scene can practice new tricks on these jumps without worry, as the landings are covered with mats. One athlete who also benefits from this sought-after training opportunity is Eileen Gu.

Special training community The Chinese has been the pinnacle of freestyle skiing for years. At the Beijing Olympics, she became the first athlete in history to win medals in all three disciplines: gold in Big Air and Halfpipe, and silver in Slopestyle. Of the last 18 World Cup races she has competed in, she has won 15 (!). But Gu is much more than just a freestyler.

The daughter of a Chinese mother and an American father was named the 2024 winner by the business magazine Forbes ranked third among the highest-paid female athletes – behind Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek. The reason: Gu, who only sporadically competes in the World Cup, is a sought-after model. According to Forbes She is said to have earned 22 million in advertising revenue last year alone. She was also named Time was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Gu is also a star on social media. On Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, she has 20 million fans.

Despite her success off the jumps, Gu is a full-blooded athlete who is aiming for more gold medals at next year's Olympic Games. And so, Gu, like Gasslitter and Tabanell, has been training in Scharnitz over the past few days. Italy's freestyle team posted a picture of the trio on the starting ramp. An unforgettable moment for the young South Tyrolean, who will soon face Gu as a competitor in the World Cup.

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And suddenly a world star is training at your side

The freestyle season may still be a long way off, but ski acrobats are already honing their new tricks. A South Tyrolean talent has now been given a special honor: she trained side by side with the world's biggest winter sports star.

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