Gu warms up for Olympics by retaining her Laax ski slopestyle title despite crash

LAAX, Switzerland (AP) — Two-time Olympic champion Eileen Gu shook off a crash and celebrated her second straight slopestyle title at the Laax Open on Saturday.

Gu had already locked up victory before she set out on her second run. She tried a double cork 1080 — that's two head-over-heels flips — but fell hard on her right side with one ski and her poles flying off after coming up short on a rotation.

After gathering herself on the slope, she skied gently down to the finish and appeared not to be seriously hurt. She smiled and waved to the camera when she stood by second-placed Marin Hamill of the U.S. and third-placed Lara Wolf of Austria.

“I’m OK," Gu said. “I don’t really like taking a victory lap, so I wanted to just do something to keep pushing and show my best out here. But that’s the sport, sometimes you fall, so it’s OK.”

Slopestyle is the only event where Gu fell short of gold at the Beijing Games four years ago and will enter the Milan Cortina Winter Games next month as the favorite to add it to her Olympic medals collection. She claimed gold in halfpipe and big air — in addition to her silver in slopestyle — in 2022.

The American-born star who competes for China went last in the lineup thanks to her leading qualifying score. She didn't need to land the second run after nobody surpassed the 85.13 she earned over her flawless opening trip through the course's rails and jumps.

Home favorite Mathilde Gremaud, the Swiss skier who edged Gu for gold in 2022, finished seventh.

At age 22, Gu’s win was her record-extending 20th World Cup career victory and her fourth in slopestyle.

“That’s so special. First of all, I can’t believe it’s been that many,” she said. “Secondly, I think every one gets harder and I think people sometimes take it for granted."

In the men’s slopestyle event, Birk Ruud of Norway won his third straight Laax title.

Freestyle skiing and snowboarding at Milan Cortina will be held in Livigno, a three-hour drive northeast of Milan in the Italian Alps. Snowboarding starts on Feb. 5 with freestyle skiing commencing two days later.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Winner Birk Ruud of Norway, center, second placed Matej Svancer of Austria, left, and third placed Evan Mceachran of Canada celebrate on the podium after the final run of the Freeski Slopestyle World Cup at the Laax Open, in Laax, Switzerland. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

Ailing Eileen Gu of China in action during the final run of the Freeski Slopestyle World Cup at Laax Open, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Laax, Switzerland. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

Ailing Eileen Gu of China celebrates winning the final run of the Freeski Slopestyle World Cup at Laax Open, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Laax, Switzerland. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 4, 2026--

With combined business spend on loyalty, employee recognition, and channel incentives projected to exceed $80 billion by the 2030s, the incentive industry is entering a period of rapid scale and strategic pressure.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260422729016/en/

In response, the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) launched a new suite of resources designed to help incentive professionals navigate an environment that’s becoming more specialized, fragmented, and central to business performance.

“It’s not just more money coming in—it’s more complexity,” said Vince Chiofolo, President of the Incentive & Engagement Solution Providers (IESP). “Buyers are demanding programs that evolve fast, integrate deeply, and feel personal at scale. These new tools were built for that.”

IMA’s Suite of Tools Includes:

New Industry Report — Inside the Incentive Buyer’s Mind

Drawn from insights of 50+ program owners, the report from Inside the Incentive Buyer’s Mind breaks down the changing expectations of today’s buyers. This report will help:

EngageIQ — The First AI Assistant Built for Incentive Education

Now live via ChatGPT integration, EngageIQ answers real-time questions about segmentation, program design, reward models, and strategy logic.

EngageIQ brings structure to the conversations around recognition, loyalty, and incentives, and puts credible, focused knowledge within reach.

Motivation Insiders Podcast Relaunch

A sharper, more frequent series focused on the voices moving the industry forward—from practitioners and platform leaders to marketers and incentive buyers. Each episode on the Motivation Insiders Podcast brings together experts to discuss different aspects of behavioral science and how you can use them to improve your incentive and recognition programs.

Global Insights on Incentive & Recognition

The IMA Global Incentives & Recognition Report consolidates insights from executives and companies for industry professionals seeking a better understanding of the global landscape of incentive and recognition.

The report offers a focused lens, providing structure, depth and actionable insights across regions and roles. This forms a structured and scalable knowledge base—designed to deliver both global comparability and local relevance.

Recognition Professionals Certification

Built on Recognition Professionals International’s (RPI) 7 Best Practice Standards® and supported by decades of research, the CRP designation establishes you as a leader in the art and science of employee recognition.

Access all the tools at www.incentivemarketing.org.

Incentive Market Set to Surpass $80B by 2030s — IMA Launches Tools to Help the Industry Keep Pace