Switzerland's Corinne Suter wins women's downhill

Day 11 of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

By Aditi Sangal, Matias Grez, Jack Bantock, Helen Regan, Adam Renton and Patrick Sung, CNN

Updated 7:27 p.m. ET, February 15, 2022
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12:20 a.m. ET, February 15, 2022

Switzerland's Corinne Suter wins women's downhill

Corinne Suter of Switzerland competes in the women's downhill on Tuesday.
Corinne Suter of Switzerland competes in the women's downhill on Tuesday. (Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)

Switzerland's Corinne Suter won gold in the women's downhill on Tuesday, with a time of 1:31.87.

Suter came into Beijing on the back of a World Cup win at Garmisch, in Germany.

Sofia Goggia of Italy missed out on becoming the second woman to win back-to-back Olympic golds in the event as she took silver in 1:32.03.

Goggia's compatriot Nadia Delago won bronze with 1:32.44.

US skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who attempted make up for the bitter disappointment of failing to finish in her favored events, slalom and giant slalom, finished 18th.

12:00 a.m. ET, February 15, 2022

Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud says she hopes to inspire young athletes

 Mathilde Gremaud celebrates on the podium on Tuesday.
 Mathilde Gremaud celebrates on the podium on Tuesday. ( Lu Lin/China Sports/VCG/Getty Images)

Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud said it was "just insane" to win gold in women's freeski slopestyle on Tuesday.

The gold adds to her bronze in the big air in Beijing and a silver in slopestyle at the Pyeongchang 2018 Games.

"I now have a complete set of the three medals. That's really, really exciting. And I'm really stoked. It's just insane," she said.

At 22 years old, Gremaud said she didn't think she would win this many Olympic medals so early in her career.

"No, definitely not. But it's definitely inspiring to hear stories of other athletes, and hear that they've been to the Games like four or five times and they have so many medals. So it's really motivating and I hope I inspire people as well, because I've been inspired by so many athletes growing up. I'm hoping that I can be that for someone," she said.
10:40 p.m. ET, February 14, 2022

Austria's Anna Gasser on defending her Olympic title: "I was trying to give it all"

Austria's Anna Gasser celebrates her gold medal win at the women's big air final on Tuesday.
Austria's Anna Gasser celebrates her gold medal win at the women's big air final on Tuesday. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images)

Anna Gasser of Austria defended her Olympic title won at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics on Tuesday, by winning gold in the women's snowboard big air.

After her jumps, Gasser said she "did not expect this at all."

"The level has been so high, all the girls were riding so well and I just wanted to show my tricks today, it was surprising that I'm on top of the podium again," she said at the Big Air Shougang in Beijing.
"It means so much but honestly what means more to me is that we had such a good stage and all the girls were riding so well and we could show this to the world."

Gasser said her winning strategy was to have "fun" and not care so much about the results.

"And just caring about showing my snowboarding today," she said.

"I wasn't playing it safe, I was trying to give it all."
10:16 p.m. ET, February 14, 2022

Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud wins gold in women's freeski slopestyle

Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland celebrates her gold medal win with silver medalist Eileen Gu of China, at the women's freeski slopestyle final on Tuesday.
Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland celebrates her gold medal win with silver medalist Eileen Gu of China, at the women's freeski slopestyle final on Tuesday. (Gregory Bull/AP)

Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud won gold in the women's freeski slopestyle, with a best score of 86.56.

Gremaud bests her 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics appearance, where she won silver.

China's Olympic sensation Eileen Gu took silver, with a best score of 86.23.

Estonia's Kelly Sildaru — one of the most decorated freekiers in the world — won her first Olympic medal, picking up bronze with a score of 82.06.

9:52 p.m. ET, February 14, 2022

Austria's Anna Gasser wins gold in women's snowboard big air

Anna Gasser of Austria reacts during the women's snowboard big air final on Tuesday.
Anna Gasser of Austria reacts during the women's snowboard big air final on Tuesday. (David Ramos/Getty Images)

Austria's Anna Gasser retains her Olympic title after winning gold in the women's snowboard big air on Tuesday, scoring 95.50 in her third and final jump to bring her total score up to 185.50.

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott took the silver — taking home New Zealand's second medal of the Games with a total score of 177. She won her country's first Winter Olympic gold last week in the women's slopestyle.

Japan's Kokomo Murase took the bronze.

9:30 p.m. ET, February 14, 2022

Former US skater Adam Rippon: "It's a joke" that Kamila Valieva is being allowed to compete

Coaches Rafael Arutyunyan (L) and Adam Rippon (R) look on during a practice session ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 1.
Coaches Rafael Arutyunyan (L) and Adam Rippon (R) look on during a practice session ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 1. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

"It’s a joke" that Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva is being allowed to compete in the Winter Olympics after failing a drug test, American former Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon told CNN.

Rippon also compared Valieva's situation to that of Team USA's Sha’Carri Richardson, who was banned from the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics after a positive marijuana test — calling it a “double standard.”

Valieva, 15, is at the center of a drugs controversy after providing a positive test for a banned heart medication in December. Yesterday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport gave her the green light to compete anyway.

Rippon said the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), which Valieva competes for, should be kicked out of the Olympics.

"The message is not getting through. And the punishment of just not being able to compete under their flag and then getting to change their anthem as like the only sort of consequence they need to face," Rippon said. "Honestly, it is laughable from the point of the athlete."

Rippon said the Russians have "repeatedly shown that they don't want to play by the rules."

Comparing it to his own experience, Rippon — who won bronze in the team event at Pyeongchang 2018 — said he was scared to even take a multivitamin when he was competing.

"Double standard": On Monday, Richardson questioned on Twitter why Valieva was allowed to continue competing, months after a positive test for cannabis derailed her own Olympic dreams.

Rippon said there was a "double standard" in how the two cases were handled.

"[Richardson's] a young black woman. We all wanted to cheer for her. Her personality is amazing. She's an incredible athlete. She tested positive for marijuana. Immediately you saw ... the US anti-doping agencies said you can't compete. She was on TV the next day, apologizing, taking accountability," Rippon said.

In Valieva's case, the Russian doping agency first suspended her and then lifted the provisional ban after an appeal from the teenage skater.

"So it’s two different agencies with two different protocols and two different integrity standards... The Court of Arbitration here in Beijing made — I think it is a joke. How does somebody with a positive test still get to compete in the Olympic Games.? The whole point is that it is a level playing field and everyone is competing clean," Rippon said. 
9:04 p.m. ET, February 14, 2022

South Korea fumes over cultural appropriation and "biased judgments" at Beijing 2022

From CNN's Gawon Bae in Seoul, South Korea

A dress worn during the opening ceremony by a performer, second from right, sparked outrage in South Korea.
A dress worn during the opening ceremony by a performer, second from right, sparked outrage in South Korea.

South Korea may have clinched its first gold medal at Beijing 2022 last week, but the success came amid tensions with China over alleged cultural appropriation and "biased judgments" during the Winter Olympics.

In recent years, relations between the two countries have been tense both politically and culturally and this year's Games have caused further flashpoints.

During the opening ceremony, a woman on stage appeared to be wearing a traditional Korean hanbok dress, which South Koreans have long been irked about, deeming China to be passing off South Korean culture as its own.

On the following day, South Korea's ruling Democratic Party released a statement criticizing China and demanding it stops "stealing" its "culture."

South Korean people also expressed their outrage online.

"I'm mad that they've introduced a person wearing hanbok on an international Olympic stage as a Chinese person! I'm mad that they are introducing Korean culture as Chinese to the world," one wrote on Twitter.

The Chinese Embassy in Seoul said on Wednesday that China is composed of 56 ethnic groups, and it is "not only their wish but also their right" to wear ethnic clothes during the Games.

"The Korean ethnic group in China and the North and South of the Korean Peninsula are of the same origin and share a common traditional culture, including clothing," the embassy said.
"The so-called 'cultural project' and 'cultural appropriation' are completely untenable."

Read the full story here.

8:46 p.m. ET, February 14, 2022

Skiers contend with -25 degrees Celsius conditions as freeski slopestyle finals get underway

From CNN's Nectar Gan in Zhangjiakou, China

It's a bitingly cold day at the Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, where the women's freeski slopestyle finals are getting underway.

As the high-speed train pulls into the Taizicheng station at 7.10 a.m. local time, an attendant reminds passengers to keep warm.

“The outdoor temperature is -25 degrees Celsius (-13F),” she said.

Stepping outside the station, it is snowing lightly outside. The brown mountains are coated with a dusting of white, with the ground covered by a thick blanket of snow.

Participants are greeted by snow pandas, bunnies and snowmen built by volunteers and staff around various venues.

At the Genting Snow Park on top of the mountain, the sun has broken through the gray clouds and the wind hasn’t picked up yet.

But it is bitterly cold.

Spectators don't seem to be put off by the frigid temperatures — they are huddled up, many wrapped in furry hats and waiting in excitement, waving pink flags featuring the beloved Olympic mascot, Bing Dwen Dwen.

The crowd here are waiting for one athlete: China’s new Olympic superstar Eileen Gu, who will strive for her second gold medal.

8:00 p.m. ET, February 14, 2022

It's 9 a.m. in Beijing. Here's what's coming up on Day 11 of the 2022 Winter Olympics

All eyes will be on Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva on Tuesday as she takes to the ice after being cleared to compete despite a failed drugs test.

Here's what to watch today:

  • Russian star cleared to skate: Figure skater Kamila Valieva will compete in the women's single skating short program after being given the green light from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The 15-year-old is favorite to win gold, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Valieva won't feature in any medal ceremonies. The athlete plans to skate to "In Memoriam" by Kirill Richter and attempt a triple axel as well as a triple flip in her program.
  • Home favorite goes for gold: China's Eileen Gu is through to the women's freeski slopestyle final, but needed a strong finish to book her spot after a slow start to qualifying. "Quali's are way more nerve-wracking than finals," the Chinese star said after posting a 79.38 best score on Monday. The 18-year-old has already won big air gold at her home Games. 
  • Skater returns after barrage of abuse: California-born Chinese figure skater Zhu Yi, who faced a torrent of social media criticism after she fell on the ice while performing in the team competition, will compete in the women's single skating short program. After her fall, the hashtag "Zhu Yi has fallen" was viewed more than 200 million times within hours on social media platform Weibo, before apparently being censored.
  • Downhill double gold bid: Italy's Sofia Goggia is aiming to become only the second woman to win back-to-back Olympic golds in women's downhill after a hurried return from injury. Switzerland's Corrine Suter and Austrians Ramona Siebenhofer and Mirjam Puchner will also fancy their chances today, while American Mikaela Shiffrin will be aiming to make up for the disappointment of failing to finish in her favored events.
  • New Zealander fights for second gold: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott will jump for another Olympic medal in the big air final after executing her last leap to near-perfection in qualifying. The New Zealander, 20, cruised through as top qualifier. She won her first gold in slopestyle — New Zealand’s first in 70 years of competing at the Winter Olympics. 
  • Men's big air battle: Canadian Max Parrot could win his second gold of the Games after topping the big air qualifying standings as his compatriot and defending champion, Sebastien Toutant, failed to advance after a crash. Chinese teen Su Yiming and decorated snowboarder Mark McMorris also reached the final. Home favorite Su earned the best single score in Monday's competition, much to the delight of the crowd. Japan's Takeru Otsuka, who delivered one of the most technical runs in his last attempt, finished second in qualifying, with Team USA's Red Gerard in third. 
  • Skier eyes double gold: Norway's Birk Ruud is looking to win his second Olympic gold medal at Beijing 2022 when the men’s freeski slopestyle begins today. Ruud won the inaugural freeski big air and is aiming to become the first man to win the Olympic slopestyle/big air double.