China's Kong Fanyu claimed her maiden aerials individual world title on Thursday at the 2023 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia. Meanwhile, compatriot Yang Longxiao won bronze in the men's final. 

Kong, bronze medalist at PyeongChang 2018, finished first with 85.30 points from her second run. Australia's Danielle Scott took silver with 83.84 and Ukraine's Anastasiya Novosad won bronze with 82.84. 

Kong headed into the PyeongChang Games with an unhealed injury from a year prior when she tore the posterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. She then went through a tough healing process after winning the bronze medal that did not best reflect her ability. She finished sixth at the Beijing Winter Olympics. 

In the men's event, Noe Roth of Switzerland took gold with 118.59, followed by Quinn Dehlinger of USA with 114.48 and Yang from China with 110.18.

The finals were postponed for a day due to poor weather conditions on Wednesday and were staged on Thursday despite blowing snow. 

(Cover: Kong Fanyu in action during training at the FIS World Cup in Park City, U.S., February 3, 2023. /CFP)