Defending Olympic big air champion and slopestyle silver medallist Eileen Gu, representing the People’s Republic of China, is set to compete at the freestyle skiing slopestyle World Cup in Laax, Switzerland (15–17 January).
This competition marks the third slopestyle event of the season and the final World Cup qualifier ahead of the Winter Olympics Milano Corina 2026.
Gu arrives in Laax as the defending slopestyle champion at the event. The busy multi-disciplinarian, who also competes on the World Cup halfpipe circuit, has competed in just four World Cup slopestyle events since Beijing 2022, two of them in Laax — winning in 2025 and finishing second in 2024 behind Switzerland’s Olympic slopestyle champion Mathilde Gremaud.
Gremaud opened her 2025/26 season with a win at Stubai, where Gu was unable to put together a complete run in stormy conditions, finishing 29th. Canada’s Olivia Asselin and Finland’s Anni Karava rounded out the podium.
Gu did not compete at the most recent World Cup in Aspen Snowmass, which saw Great Britain’s Kirsty Muir take the win ahead of Gremaud and Canada’s Elena Gaskell.
Qualifications are sure to be heated, as the field of 29 women take to the slopestyle course in Laax on Thursday, 15 January, with finals set for Saturday, 17 January.
Freestyle skiing slopestyle will be contested at Milano Cortina 2026 at the Livigno Snow Park from 7–9 February.