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Stacking up the medals

With slopestyle win, Megan Oldham claims back to back X Games golds

By: Matt Masson January 29, 2023

Megan Oldham grabbed her second gold medal at X Games Aspen 2023. Mathilde Gremaud’s final run was enough for silver, while young Scot Kirsty Muir grabbed her second bronze of the weekend.

Oldham’s win may not have been as iconic as her historic victory in Big Air. but it will be no less satisfying as she followed in Tess Ledeux's footsteps and completed a double rare X Games double gold performance.

BEST OF | 2023 X Games Women´s Ski Slopestyle (YouTube)

A sunny day in Aspen and, for once at X Games Aspen 2023, there was no fresh snow to contend with on the slopestyle course. Kirsty Muir, an alternate, was first through the course with a solid rail run that included a 450 on. Maybe she wasn’t ready for the lack of fresh snow that had plagued the riders this weekend as she was forced to open up early on the penultimate jump, but composed herself for a smooth dub 12 on the final hit. The next skier to get a run down was Sarah Hoefflin, but she wasn’t super smooth through the rails or the jumps, and so didn’t threaten Kirsty’s lead. Johanne Killi, the winner from last weekend’s Laax Open, was the only competitor who didn’t compete at Big Air, and perhaps her rustiness on the jumps showed as she went too big on the last kicker. The last to drop was defending champ Tess Ledeux, who despite starting well, struggled with speed through the shark fins and bailed out before the last jump.

Kirsty started her second run with a k-fed on the first rail, only to come off early on the last one and take the run as a throwaway. Megan, maybe hyped or just relaxed from already having a gold medal in her suitcase, put down the run of the day, improving her rails and then throwing a switch dub 9 to a gigantic double cork 1260 safety on the money booter. Johanne Killi was able to put down a run this time with a switch dub 10 on the penultimate jump, enough to move her up to third on the ever-changing live leaderboard.

Mathilde Gremaud on her way to the podium. Photo: Joshua Duplechian/X Games

Megan was one of the only women to complete her third run. If anything, she tidied it up and stayed in the lead, with Kirsty and Johanne keeping her company in the podium places. The leaderboard was again unchanged after the third pass of the skiers, with Megan further cementing her place at the top as most of the other skiers struggled with various aspects of the rails. Killi improved hers, but fell on her switch dub 10 attempt. Going into the final pass through it was Oldham, Muir and Killi in the podium places.

None of the first three skiers completed their last run until Miss Consistent for the Day, Megan Oldham, got through another, finishing with a right 12 on the money booter. Killi started her run well, only to fall at the end, so she would have to hold her breath as there were two skiers to go. Mathilde Gremaud, the reigning Olympic slopestyle champ, showed exactly why she has that title. Two switch-ups on the rainbow rail and then arguably the best tricks on the shark fin: opp carve cork 7 tail and opp carve bio 900 safety. She finished her run with a dub 10 on the last jump. That moved her to second, and it was Kirsty Muir’s turn to bite her nails as she sat in bronze place with one rider to go. But defending champ Ledeux couldn’t get into a rhythm, and opened up early on the first jump.

Full replay of today´s action

Final results: 2023 X Games Women’s Ski slopestyle

1. Megan Oldham

2. Mathilde Gremaud

3. Kirsty Muir

4. Olivia Asselin

5. Tess Ledeux

6. Sarah Hoefflin