Superstar Eileen Gu has again been denied a Milan-Cortina gold medal, with the Chinese freeskier unable to defend her big air title in Italy.
One of the faces of the 2026 Games, Gu collected her second Olympic medal and fifth in two Games, but was forced to settle for another silver which she snatched with her final jump of the night.
Competition in Livigno was delayed for over an hour due to a snow storm with Canada's Megan Oldham coming out to pip Gu with a score of 180.75 for her two best jumps, against 179.00.
In a tight contest, Italy's Flora Tabanelli took bronze with a tally of 178.25.
Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud, the 2022 big air bronze medallist and Gu’s top rival, was forced to miss the final after injuring her hip when she crashed in practice earlier in the day.
Gremaud beat 22-year-old Gu for slopestyle gold last week, with Monday night's defeat meaning China have still not won a gold in Italy.
Australia's entry Daisy Thomas withdrew before competition due to knee instability after rupturing her ACL in December.
"I'm not disappointed, I'm pretty happy to be here," said Gu, who hadn't competed in big air since Beijing.
"Really proud, five-time Olympic medallist kind of has a ring to it.
"I learned the trick that I did on the third run in training for this contest, and then I did the 14 for the first time in four years, also in training for this contest.
"So, if you'd asked me four days ago and you said what tricks are you going to do in the final? I'd be like, ‘I'm in the final?’
"It was less about expectations and more about just doing my very best."
America-born Gu said she was happy for the weather delay after hitting her head in the last run of training.
"I broke a helmet and so I was really happy about the delay, because I was icing my head and lying in a dark room so that I could just adjust.
"Thankfully, I don't really feel concussed, my head feels all good, but I really needed those 30 minutes.
"I don't think the outcome would have been the same if we hadn't had the delay.
The world's highest-paid sportswoman outside tennis, Gu has been embroiled in a row with the International Ski Federation (FIS) over its refusal to allow her extra time to train for the halfpipe.
The only female athlete attempting to compete in three disciplines, training for halfpipe clashed with the rescheduled big air qualifying.
She hit out at the decision and said the FIS was "punishing excellence".
She finished second in qualifying two nights ago. Afterward, she said she was upset because organisers didn't make any accommodations for her to get a third practice session on the halfpipe, her final event.
The first of the three practices for the halfpipe, in which Gu also is the defending champion, took place at the same time as the big air final.
Gu said she looked for time when she could make up for the lost session, but FIS would not accommodate her.
"I think being able to do something that’s beyond the ordinary should be celebrated instead of punished," she said.
Gu was looking to repeat her feat from the Beijing Games, where she became the first action-sports athlete to win three medals at one Olympics.
