Wang Xindi Delivers Under Pressure to Seal Historic Win at Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026
China's Wang Xindi captured the gold medal in the men's aerials final at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday, 20 February. The 30-year-old skier delivered a stunning final jump to score 132.60 points, edging out Switzerland's Noe Roth by just 1.02 points in a thrilling super final showdown.
A Dramatic Contest Between Top Athletes
The competition featured a dramatic contest between top athletes from China and Switzerland in front of an excited crowd. Roth, the reigning world champion, secured the silver medal with 131.58 points after executing a near-perfect jump. China's Li Tianma claimed bronze with 123.93 points, completing a strong showing for the Chinese team.
The final round featured four Chinese and two Swiss athletes, highlighting the dominance of these two nations in the discipline. Defending Olympic champion Qi Guangpu failed to reach the podium, placing sixth overall with a score of 81.00 in the super final.
The Super Final Decider
The men's aerials final was decided in the super final, where six athletes had just one jump to fight for gold. Wang Xindi stayed remarkably calm under pressure, executing a clean, powerful, and well-controlled jump that impressed the judges enough to award him 132.60 points.
Noe Roth scored 131.58 points for his high-difficulty back double full-double-full-full jump, finishing only 1.02 points behind Wang. Despite missing the gold, Roth made history for Switzerland by becoming the first Swiss man in 20 years to win an Olympic medal in aerials.
Complete Results and Historical Context
Li Tianma secured bronze with 123.93 points, while his teammate Sun Jiaxu finished fourth with 123.42 points. Switzerland's Pirmin Werner placed fifth with 99.32 points, giving Switzerland two athletes in the top five.
Canada's Lewis Irving and Emile Nadeau reached the final round but could not advance to the super final. Irving posted a best score of 111.00, finishing 6.26 points short of qualification, while Nadeau scored 102.21 in his first jump and fell on his second attempt.
Noe Roth's silver medal continues Switzerland's strong tradition in aerials. The last Swiss Olympic aerials champion was Evelyne Leu in 2006, while Colette Brand, Roth's mother, had won bronze in 1998.
Wang Xindi's Journey to Olympic Gold
Born on 2 May 1995 in Qinhuangdao, Hebei, Wang competed in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics before finally achieving gold in 2026. His victory marks the biggest achievement of his career and strengthens China's dominance in freestyle aerial skiing.
The competition marked a major moment for China in freestyle skiing, as Wang became an Olympic champion after years of strong international performances. His gold medal adds to China's growing reputation as a powerhouse in winter sports, particularly in technical disciplines like aerials.
