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Mathilde Grimaud lives up to her role as favorite and wins gold at the World Championships

Multitasking athlete Mathilde Grimaud, who juggles soccer balls and golf balls as if they were the easiest thing in the world, won gold in slopestyle style at the World Ski Freestyle Championships. The 23-year-old from Freiburg in Bakuriani, Georgia, won, beating Canadian Megan Oldham and Norwegian Johan Kelly. For Gremaud, it is the first world championship gold medal of his career. Thus, she fills a gap in her impressive palms.

Grimaud made waves for the first time at the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea, where she won the silver medal in the slopestyle. Four years later, she traveled to the Beijing Olympics as a medal contender and withstood the pressure with ease. On her 22nd birthday, Gremaud won the bronze medal in the big air. A little later, she followed it up with a gold medal in the slopestyle and became an Olympic champion for the first time.

After outstanding Olympic appearances, Gremaud fell into a ditch. But at the latest at the prestigious X-Games, where it took second place in slopestyle, it found its way back. And now also the gold world championship. “Each title has its own story and is special,” said the world champion. “After the Olympics, I went through a difficult period. It’s nicer to realize that I can still play it low and be confident in my abilities.”

In addition to Gremaud, there were two other Swiss women in the field of the twelve – missing Olympic star Elaine Jo and Latvian Kelly Sildaru. 2018 Olympic Slopestyle Champion Sarah Hoflin fell in the second round trying to attack the podium from fourth place. Giulia Tanno had to settle for tenth place. (fsc)