Home athletes swept the women's podium in the freeski halfpipe competition of the Snow League on Saturday at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, with Olympic champion Gu Ailing claiming the title ahead of Zhang Kexin and Li Fanghui.

It was Gu's first halfpipe contest in nearly a year. She said returning to competition at home made the victory especially meaningful.

"To come back here in Chongli, almost like my 'home course', and win again feels amazing. I really enjoyed being back in the start gate," Gu said after competition.

The Snow League is an invitation-only event independent of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), featuring top freeskiers and snowboarders from around the world. The competition adopts a head-to-head elimination format, which increases unpredictability and demands greater consistency from the riders.

In the semifinals, Gu defeated Li while Zhang beat Svea Irving of the United States, meaning Chinese freeskiers secured both gold and silver before the medal round began.

In the best-of-three final, Gu delivered two clean runs to claim the win in straight rounds. Li outperformed Irving in the bronze medal contest.

"It's really special to stand on the podium with Zhang and Li. We've known each other for many years and always push one another. To share this moment in a competition in China means a lot to me," Gu added.