Eileen Gu jumping to defend Olympic gold in big air, an event she hasn't done in four years

LIVIGNO, Italy — Olympics multi-event freeskier Eileen Gu goes for her second straight gold medal in big air and second medal of the Milan Cortina Games on Monday night.

The 22-year-old hasn't competed in a big air contest since winning the gold medal in Beijing four years ago. But there are enough similarities between big air and slopestyle, which features similar jumps, that Gu found her rhythm quickly.

She finished second in qualifying two nights ago. Afterward, she said she was upset because organizers didn't make any accommodations for her to get a third practice session on the halfpipe, her final event.

The first of the three practices for the halfpipe, where Gu also is the defending champion, takes place at the same time as the big air final.

Gu, who was born in America but competes for her mother's homeland of China, said she looked for time when she could make up for the lost session but officials from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) would not accommodate her.

“I think being able to do something that’s beyond the ordinary should be celebrated instead of punished,” she said.

Gu is looking to repeat her feat from the Beijing Games, where she became the first action-sports athlete to win three medals at one Olympics.

Threatening Gu in big air will be Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud, who beat Gu in slopestyle last week, and Canada's Megan Oldham, who won the bronze in that event.