Freeskier Wang joins wife as Olympic champion couple in aerials

China's decorated freestyle skiing aerials team has reigned supreme in the high flying discipline after men's skier Wang Xindi won his first Olympic gold medal at Milano-Cortina 2026 on Friday, building on his wife and teammate Xu Mengtao's women's title two days earlier.

Wang's steady performance through the snow-delayed qualification and final rounds culminated in his last jump in the super final, earning a field-high score of 132.60 points to edge out Switzerland's reigning world champion Noe Roth, who finished second with 131.58. Another Chinese skier, Li Tianma, completed the podium with bronze, his first Olympic medal, scoring 123.93 points in his final run.

Too nervous to watch Roth's final attempt, Wang, who jumped before the Swiss star, covered his face with both hands while crouching at the bottom of the landing ramp as the crowd of Chinese supporters waited. Cheers erupted when Roth's slightly lower score appeared on the jumbo screen.

Wang's maiden Olympic victory makes him and Xu, who defended her title on Wednesday, the only Olympic champion couple in freestyle skiing, underlining China's strong tradition in the event.

With a second gold from the aerials team, the Chinese delegation has surged over the past two days, collecting 12 medals in total, including four gold, to climb to 12th place on the overall medal table after an earlier dry spell at the Games.

Asked how he managed to celebrate his wife's earlier victory while staying focused on his own mission, Wang said his chemistry with Xu has always worked well for both of them.

"We celebrated her gold, but I also quickly refocused on my own event," said Wang, who married Xu in May 2022 after the Beijing Games. "We've battled together for years, but we're also professionals. While I was rejoicing with her, I could not forget that I still had my own event to compete in."

"During competitions, we mostly follow our own rhythms. Sometimes she has pointers she wants to share, but does not want to say too much. In my heart, I understand what she means.

"Let nature take its course. Safety comes first. If we perform to our ability, the results should be good."