by sportswriters He Leijing, Tian Guangyu and Wang Junbao
LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- With her arms flung wide, Xu Mengtao soared into the Livigno sky, twisting and tumbling before touching down with the calm authority of a veteran.
A textbook back full-full-full in the women's aerials super final sealed gold for the Chinese star at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, carving her name into history as the first athlete to win two Olympic titles in the event.
As the Chinese national anthem echoed through the venue, tears streamed down the face of the 35-year-old, five-time Olympian.
Stepping off the podium, she high-fived spectators one by one, her voice ringing with emotion: "This is a truly weighty gold medal."
THE AERIALS GOAT
Xu had promised restraint. Looking ahead to her fifth Olympic appearance, especially after her triumph at the Beijing Winter Olympics four years ago, she said she hoped to present a version of herself untouched by glory or defeat.
Yet the snow in Livigno told a different story.
She collapsed onto it after winning, screaming skyward, emotions spilling out in a rush that defied any talk of composure. "I was too excited," Xu admitted. "I was ready to let everything out. The whole experience felt like a dream."
Her gold also marked China's second Olympic title in an 80-minute burst, following Su Yiming's victory in the men's snowboard slopestyle. Learning of Su's win before her own final, Xu quietly set herself a goal of claiming the country's first women's gold at these Games.
This Olympics, she said, felt unlike any other. "Everyone can do triple jumps now. And I don't know why I performed so well," she laughed.
The execution, though, left little mystery. "This was my fifth Olympic Games, and I had to keep focused, keep focused," Xu reflected. "I did a very good jump, a full-full-full, with good air, good form, good landing. It was amazing."
Even she seemed surprised by the performance. For Xu, simply having the courage to chase another Olympics felt like an achievement. "No matter the result, you give everything you have," she said before the Games. "The most important thing is to be happy."
Her Olympic journey has never been smooth. She finished sixth on her debut at Vancouver 2010, then soon emerged as the world's dominant aerialist, winning consecutive World Cup overall titles. At Sochi 2014, she took silver, a rising star expected to go one step higher.
Then heartbreak struck. Two years before PyeongChang 2018, a crash at China's National Winter Games tore the ACL in her left knee. Surgery followed. Rehabilitation was grueling. She made it to the Olympics, only to falter again in the final, finishing ninth.
Redemption finally arrived at Beijing 2022. On home snow, Xu reached the summit and realized her lifelong Olympic dream. "Is it me? Am I first?" she asked in disbelief after the competition.
The video clip of that moment still sits pinned on her social media account.
This time, there was no doubt. "I'm still first! That was beautiful!" she shouted after landing. The same high-difficulty final jump that earned her 108.61 points in Beijing scored 112.90 here in the medal round.
Xu has been a model of consistency this season. She reached the podium in five of six World Cup appearances, bringing her career tally to 30 World Cup wins and seven Crystal Globes.
"She is the undisputed GOAT of this event," read one widely liked comment on Chinese social media.
"The tears from her five Olympic Games hold Vancouver's youth, Sochi's regret, PyeongChang's defiance, Beijing's fulfillment and the complex emotions of defending her title today," the Chinese Olympic Committee wrote on Weibo. "At that moment, we saw the purest form of an athlete - beyond age, driven only by passion."
"To be one of China's oldest Winter Olympic champions feels like a mission and a legacy," Xu said. "I want to tell all athletes that age is not a shackle on dreams. No matter how old you are, you can still be in your prime. You can still stand on the highest podium at 35."
Silver medalist Danielle Scott of Australia, also 35, spoke warmly of her longtime rival. "We've been competitors for a long time. It's been fun, tough, and just good competitive spirit for women in sport," she said.
"I've been watching Tao Tao (Xu) do triples for longer than I've been competing. She's been a huge inspiration, and to be alongside her today is really special," Scott added.
A FLAME THAT NEVER FADES
The timing made the medal feel even heavier. It came on the second day of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Horse. Xu, born in a Horse year herself, called it her "zodiac year," a year traditionally marked by red for good fortune.
Draped in the red Chinese flag, she felt the symbolism keenly.
"Yesterday's also my father's birthday," she said after the final. "He's a Horse too. I wanted to dedicate this gold to him." Training has kept her away from home for much of the past four years. "I'm grateful for my parents' love and support."
Born into a modest family in northeast China's Liaoning Province, Xu grew up watching her father support the household by selling lamb skewers. A sports lover from the start, she began gymnastics at age four. At 12, she left home for the Shenyang Sport University to train in aerials.
"She left home so young and always shared good news, never worries," her father, Xu Xuejun, recalled. He used to pin photos of his daughter's victories inside his 40-square-meter barbecue shop, proudly telling customers, "That's my daughter. A world champion."
"I've come this far because of my love for the sport," Xu Mengtao said. "But behind that love stands all the people who love me."
After returning from injury in 2018, Xu rebuilt from the basics, grinding through brutal conditioning sessions. "I just wanted to bet on myself, to fight once more," she said. In fitness testing, she ranked fourth among more than 600 male and female athletes.
She used to study her rivals obsessively, replaying their jumps and breaking down technique. Every training leap is rehearsed in her mind before she leaves the ramp. When doubt creeps in, she talks to herself, building mental walls strong enough to hold.
"This year marks my 31st year in sports," Xu said. "All these years, I've stayed confident, optimistic, and full of fighting spirit."
After Beijing 2022, she embraced what she calls "zeroing out", releasing expectations after achieving the Olympic dream, after her marriage and after publishing her autobiography. Her motivation moved away from external expectations toward a deeper inner love and belief.
"I'm still the same Xu Mengtao," she said. "Whether I was 12, whether I succeeded or failed, I'm always me. Full of love, with endless passion for snow and ice."
Before the competition, Xu declined to say whether this would be her final Olympics. "I think there are still infinite possibilities," she smiled. "I haven't set limits for myself. I will follow my heart."
With a laugh, she added, "The big sister still has room to fly. It's not time to say goodbye."
For Xu, the gold medal is not an ending, but another reason to keep going, higher into the sky. ■
