Day two of the X games saw a series of events and surprises, including Kelly Sildaru's slopestyle ski run, which garnered her the gold. Sildaru is 13, and the youngest woman ever to win an X Games gold medal.
She scored a 93.00 on her first run, edging out Norway's Tiril Sjåstad Christiansen, who trailed at 91.66. Johanne Killi came in third with an 85.66.
Hailing from Estonia, Sildaru made her first appearance at the X Games. She is also the first person from her country to win a medal at the Aspen X Games. Her home mountain features a slope that features only 100 meters of vertical drop.
"It's hard because we don't have mountains," Sildaru told The Denver Post. When asked about nerves, she bobbled her head and tapped her helmet. "That's in your head," she said.
"This is the toughest competition we have ever had in ski slopestyle," silver medalist Christiansen said. "I have been watching her since she was even younger than this. She just makes me a better skier and I want to push myself even harder when I see her ski."
Weighing in at only 88 pounds and standing at 5 feet tall, Sildaru clinched her run with successful switch 900s. Her victory is surprising, considering her size. Any slip-up or fall would make it difficult for her to gather enough speed for the rest of the course.
X Games competitions traditionally occur over two or three runs. Competitors keep their highest score, allowing them to fall or attempt more risky maneuvers in one run.
