While she came into Bakuriani 2023 carrying the mantel of Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games gold medallist, Mathilde Gremaud had yet to hit the top of the podium in slopestyle competition this far into the 2022/23 World Cup season, as Norway’s Johanne Killi has swept top spot in every event up to this point.

However, here in Bakuriani Gremaud was on a mission from start to finish of proceedings, locking down the top score in qualifications on Monday before dropping in with a heater of a first run in finals on Tuesday.

Leading things off in her first run with a right 270 on to continuing 270 off and then a switch right 270 on to continuing 270 off on the first two rails, Gremaud then rolled into the jumps sections with a left double cork 1080 safety, into a right bio 900 safety and then finally a styled out switch 720 mute.

Into the canon rail Gremaud then went with a switch left slide into forward 450 mute off, and then into the tricky final feature did a 50-50 on the big blue tube, before finishing things off with a left 270 lipslide to continuing 270 off on the down rail, stomping clean and riding out to score of 87.95 and the lead after run one.

With top challengers like Killi, Tess Ledeux (FRA) and Sarah Hoefflin (SUI) failing to put down clean second runs, it was only double X Games 2023 champion Megan Oldham of Canada who challenged Gremaud for the title. While Oldham would give Gremaud a scare, ultimately the Canadian would fall just .20 points short and Gremaud would enjoy a victory lap through the Bakuriani 2023 slopestyle course with a Swiss flag in hand.

With her super smooth second run Canadian Oldham was able to bump herself up from bronze to silver medal position, lacing a switch left double cork 900 Japan to left double 1080 mute combo through the final two jumps and skiing out to a score of 87.75 and the second World Championships medal of her career after she earned slopestyle bronze two years ago in Aspen.

Third place would go to Killi after she crashed trying to up the ante in her second run. While Killi crushed the top rail section with a right slide switch-up continuing 270 off to switch left 270 on to continuing 270 off on the first two rail features, some less-difficult tricks through the jumps meant that she’d have to settle for a score of 84.71 and the bronze medal.

Killi’s bronze would not be the only hardware the Norwegian team would be walking away with on Tuesday, however, as the Freeski Landslaget would take the top two positions on the Bakuriani 2023 men’s competition as well, with current slopestyle World Cup leader Birk Ruud leading the way in a storming final-run performance.