Australian Skier Wins Silver After 12-Year Aerials Drought

After three Olympic attempts without a medal, Danielle Scott finally stood on the podium with a stunning silver in women's aerials at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

The 31-year-old ended Australia's 12-year wait for an aerials medal with a near-perfect back Full-Full-Full in the final at Livigno. Scott scored 102.17 to claim second place, edging past two Chinese competitors in a heart-stopping finish.

"I just put my heart out there," Scott said after her win. "I left everything out there."

Weather conditions had compressed the entire competition into a single grueling day. Scott handled the pressure beautifully, qualifying second in the morning with a score of 99.59, then returning for the afternoon finals.

In the first round of the finals, she landed a stunning jump that earned her a personal best score of 117.19. That put her in the best position heading into the top-six super final.

China's defending champion Xu Mengtao took gold with an incredible score of 112.90. Kong Fanyu claimed bronze with 101.31, making Scott's silver even more impressive given the tight margins.

The Bright Side: Scott's medal carries special meaning beyond her personal achievement. She won on February 18, exactly 24 years after Alisa Camplin-Warner became Australia's first female Winter Olympic champion in aerials at Torino 2006.

The victory also marks Australia's sixth medal at the Milano Cortina Games. No Australian had medaled in aerials since 2014, when Lydia Lassila won bronze and David Morris took silver in Sochi.

Scott's teammate Abbey Willcox also competed in the finals, finishing 10th overall. The Australian aerials team showed depth and determination throughout the compressed competition schedule.

After years of near-misses and fourth Olympic Games appearance, Scott's patience and dedication finally paid off on the biggest stage in winter sports.