LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- China celebrated a unique double at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday as Wang Xindi soared to gold in the men's freestyle skiing aerials - two days after his wife Xu Mengtao had topped the women's podium.
The victory made them a rare married couple to each win individual gold medals at these Games.
Wang, 30, delivered when it mattered most. Third to jump in the super final, he landed a near-flawless routine for 132.60 points.
Switzerland's Noe Roth, the final athlete down the inrun, answered with a spectacular effort that earned 131.58. When the score flashed, Wang dropped to his knees in the snow and roared with delight, realizing the title was his.
Competing at his third Olympics, Wang had never finished higher than 14th in previous appearances at Beijing 2022 and PyeongChang 2018.
The medal round unfolded as a duel between China and Switzerland, with four Chinese and two Swiss skiers advancing. Roth denied a Chinese podium sweep by taking silver. Fellow Chinese Li Tianma, making his Olympic debut, secured bronze with 123.93 points.
China's Sun Jiaxu scored 123.42 to finish fourth, while veteran Qi Guangpu, the defending champion and a five-time Olympian, faltered on his final jump and posted 81.00 points, placing sixth. ■