There are six freestyle skiing events: men's moguls, women's moguls, men's ski cross, women's ski cross, men's aerials and women's aerials. Men's and women's ski cross will debut in Vancouver.
Inside this sport: Events | Competition format | Juding and scoring | Glossary
China's Han Xiaopeng takes gold in freestyle aerials in 2006.
See what British Columbia has to offer on the slopes.
All freestyle skiing events will be held at Cypress Mountain, less than 20 miles north of downtown Vancouver. Already one of the most popular skiing areas in British Columbia, Cypress Mountain was upgraded in 2006-2007, making the freestyle venue the first of the 2010 Olympic venues to be completed.
Torino recap: Parity reigns
In the four events contested in 2006, 10 different countries earned medals. A disappointing showing by the U.S. team produced only one medal: Toby Dawson's bronze in men's moguls. Australia's Dale Begg-Smith took gold in that event, and Finland's Mikko Ronkainen silver. Jennifer Heil of Canada took gold on the last run in the women's moguls, topping Norway's Kari Traa (silver), and France's Sandra Laoura (bronze). The best finish by an American was Shannon Bahrke's 10th place.
China's Han Xiaopeng won men's aerials, topping Dmitry Dashinski of Belarus and Vladimir Lebedev of Russia. American favorite Jeret "Speedy" Peterson attempted his famed Hurricane - three somersaults with five twists - but bobbled the landing and wound up seventh. On the women's side, Switzerland's Evelyne Leu also took a risk by attempting the hardest jump on the women's program, a triple somersault with three twists. Unlike Peterson, Leu stuck the landing, grabbing the gold medal from China's Li Nina. Australia's Alisa Camplin, who was the defending Olympic champion, took bronze.
Vancouver preview: Ski cross debuts
The addition of ski cross to the Vancouver program brings more than just potential crashes: It's also an event where the U.S. could win a medal. Downhill champ Daron Rahlves hung up his racing gear in favor of this contact sport, where he and fellow American Casey Puckett have had recent success. In the final heat, also look for Czech Tomas Krause and Austrian Andreas Matt. Frenchwoman Ophelie David is the runaway favorite for gold, having won the World Cup title every year since 2004. She leads the standings for the 2008-09 season and won gold at the X Games in January 2009.
Torino champ Dale Begg-Smith returns as the favorite in men's moguls. American Jeremy Bloom, who finished sixth in Torino, has returned to skiing after an attempt at an NFL career. Teammate David Babic also represents a medal contender for the U.S. Canada's Jennifer Heil also will return to defend her gold medal. Heil has had consistently strong results since Torino, but American Hannah Kearney, whose success has been hampered by several serious injuries, is also a strong contender.
Returning for the U.S. in aerials is Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, whose famous Hurricane trick failed to impress the judges in Torino. He finished seventh, and in Vancouver will again face gold medalist Han Xiaopeng of China. American Ryan St. Onge also will be a contender, as will Canada's Steve Omischl. For the women, Australian Jacqui Cooper, who will be 36 in Vancouver, is back in top form after countless injuries since 2001. Fellow Aussie Lydia Lassila (nee Ierodiaconou) and American Emily Cook also will contend for medals.
Since winning gold in Torino, the king of the halfpipe has become a skateboarding champion. He's found time to surf, too.
