Aerials, Women

The heavy favorite was Uzbeki Lina Cheryazova who had won all the World Cup events on the 1993-94 circuit. But she barely made the final, placing 12th in qualifying to secure the last spot in the final. Two other medal favorites, Nikki Stone (USA) and Colette Brand (SUI) performed even worse, placing 13th and 15th, and did not make the final. The final was different as her back-lay-tuck-full earned her 92.92 points, to take an 11+ point lead over Sweden’s Marie Lindgren. Cheryazova placed only sixth in the second round, but her lead was sufficient to earn her the gold medal, the first Olympic medal ever won for Uzbekistan. Lindgren again placed second on her second jump to win silver. The bronze medal went to Norway’s Hilda Synnøve Lid, who had the best jump of the second round with her back full-full. Shortly after the gold medal ceremony, Cheryazova was told that her mother had died three weeks earlier while she was training for the Olympics. Her dying wish had been not to tell her daughter, so she could concentrate on winning the gold medal. Five months later, on 13 July 1994, Cheryazova slammed her head against a jump ramp while training in Lake Placid, New York. Sustaining a brain injury, she was in a coma for over a week, but recovered and returned to competition in 1995 and competed again at the 1998 Winter Olympics.