“I’m so incredibly proud. He’s amazing, he’s worked so hard for this,” girlfriend Tonje Frigstad told VG.
She was in tears.
“I feel so much pride and gratitude.”
“Absolutely fantastic, absolutely incredible. I’m so impressed – he nails it in the qualifiers and in the final,” said Birk Ruud’s mother Céline Bache‑Wiig.
“It’s truly moving to be here as a mom,” she added.
When Birk Ruud was visibly moved on the podium during the national anthem and placed his hand over his heart, tears came for his mother and his girlfriend. They stood embracing each other.
Birk Ruud was an emotional son and boyfriend:
“There are two important women – my mom is a rock and Tonje, we’re engaged. We’re a tiny family. I’m really looking forward to seeing the rest of the family and celebrating together with them,” Birk Ruud told VG.
“We’ve been looking forward to this, worked so hard and then got gold. It’s fantastic, but a bit strange,” he said.
How he secured the gold:
But the show in the third run, when it was already clear Ruud would become Olympic champion, could have gone better.
Ruud intended to play down the hill, but it turned bloody after a small tumble.
“I was going for improv, dude,” Ruud explained in the finish area.
He got back on his feet, his mouth bleeding – and could smile broadly for gold. Tears came on the winner’s podium.
“I wanted to try to push my slopestyle run. It got a bit improvised, and I ended up crashing. I’m not quite sure how it happened, but I think I got a cut,” Ruud told VG.
Alex Hall of the United States took silver, while Luca Harrington of New Zealand placed third.
While many Olympic finalists played it safe in the first run, Ruud was tough, confident and skillful, sporting his red‑and‑white knit sweater.
86.28 points gave him a clear lead after the first run and ultimately the Olympic gold. The win adds to Ruud’s impressive collection of major titles.
Alex Hall, the reigning Olympic champion, delivered a startling shot in the second run.
With 85.75 points he was right on Ruud’s heels – as close as the seams on the red‑white sweater.
In his third run Hall fell on his rear after the first rail, and the chance for Norwegian gold increased.
only fellow Norwegian Tormod Frostad could have taken the gold from Ruud. He ran in sunshine, in far better conditions than many competitors, but his attempt fell short.
Frostad finished 12th, while Sebastian Schjerve placed sixth.
In slopestyle, athletes combine rails and jumps with creative and technically demanding tricks. Judges award a total score from 0 to 100. The event is a highlight of the Winter Games, showcasing the sport’s most daring athletes.
Execution, difficulty, variety and unique tricks factor into the total score.
In the final, freeski riders have three runs each, and only the best run counts.
Birk Ruud chased his second Olympic gold on Tuesday with a nervous family and girlfriend Tonje Frigstad among the crowd.
He also claimed Olympic gold in Big Air in Beijing four years ago.
Ruud adds two World Championship slopestyle golds to his résumé.
