Love is in the AIR-IALS

While many sporting couples have had the experience of competing at the same Olympic Games, only a few have been blessed to have both parties win medals, and fewer still have seen both finish on top of the podium in the same sport at the same Games.

Well, last week, at the just-concluded 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, China's freestyle skiing duo Xu Mengtao and Wang Xindi celebrated the ultimate feat — both wife and husband winning individual gold, not just in the same sport, but in the same discipline at the same Games, after both dominating their respective fields in the women's and men's aerials finals.

Their remarkable golden double, having gone viral on social media as one of the most captivating love stories of the Games, started to build on Wednesday when Xu defended her Beijing 2022 title at Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park, Livigno, Italy, becoming the first-ever aerialist to successfully retain an individual Olympic gold.

Two days later, at the same Italian Alps resort, Wang held off strong competition from Switzerland's reigning world champion Noe Roth in a tightly contested men's final to claim his first Olympic title, finally matching his wife's success at his third Games, while adding an extra layer of sparkle to their romance.

Right after Wang learned he'd scored high enough to edge out Roth in the final medal round, Xu was the first to emerge from the crowd, giving her husband a warm hug, patting on his helmet and loudly shouting: "You did it! We did it!"

Over her long-established career, the most dominant woman in aerials has always been her husband's fiercest cheerleader.

"She's always been so supportive, cheering me up and telling me that I can do it whenever I struggled with my performance," said the 30-year-old Wang, who married Xu in May 2022 after his wife won her first Olympic gold on home snow.

"She encouraged me to keep working hard to win the Olympic gold, so that we could be more than just a world champion couple."

Now, they're an Olympic champion couple and, perhaps, more joint accolades are on the way.

Right after her back-to-back Olympic triumph in Livigno, Xu, who has completed her fifth Olympics at the age of 35, opened up on her renewed motivation to go for a record sixth Games in 2030 in the French Alps.

"I really would like to push for another Olympics, but I have to discuss it with my family," said Xu, who, along with her Olympic haul, has collected seven world championships medals and 30 World Cup wins since 2006.

Wang, who's always looked up to Xu as "Sister Tao", responded with an apparently obedient tone, and full of respect.

"She's used to dictating the play on snow and, most of the time, at home as well," Wang said with a grin after his final.

"As her family, what we do is support her, whatever she decides to do, and be there for her."

Their glittering partnership is built on a strong, yet competitive, foundation.

They first met in 2007, when Wang, a junior gymnast at 12, joined the freestyle skiing program as a cross-sports talent.

The two young teammates spent almost the next two decades together, building a camaraderie that neither could have imagined would bloom into a romantic relationship.

It was during arguably the darkest period of Xu's career, after she injured her knees in a false landing at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, when Wang stepped forward to offer support and care beyond that of just a teammate.

He accompanied her to rehabilitation sessions, where Xu had to learn how to walk again following surgeries on both knees, helped her analyze training footage after she recovered and listened when she vented her frustrations.

A mutual affection started to build quietly through understanding the unique physical and mental challenges of their sport, leading to a romance that they proudly shared with fans in a joint social media message posted on Feb 21, 2022, a day after the conclusion of the Beijing Winter Games.

Finally, after having done so at multiple World Cup events, the opportunity arose for them to achieve the perfect Olympic experience, one that matched their golden expectations.

Xu delivered first, as she usually does at other international events, by beating one of her toughest rivals and close friend, Australia's Danielle Scott, with a flawless final jump to set the tone.

Two days later, Wang completed his part of the Italian job, making the 2026 Olympic trip a shared career highlight.

Asked how he managed to celebrate his wife's earlier victory while staying focused on his own mission, Wang said that his chemistry with Xu has always worked well for both of them.

"We celebrated her gold, but I quickly refocused on my own event," said Wang, who's won 12 medals of his own on the World Cup circuit.

"We've battled together for years, but we're also professionals. While I was rejoicing with her, I could not forget that I still had my own event to compete in.

"During competitions, we mostly follow our own rhythms. Sometimes she has tips she wants to share, but does not want to say too much. In my heart, I understand what she means."

After successfully completing their hunt for individual gold, Xu and Wang joined younger teammate Li Tianma, who finished third in the men's individual final, to bag bronze in the mixed team event on Saturday. China's Shao Qi also claimed bronze in the women's individual aerials.

Bringing home an all-time best haul of five medals from Italy, the Chinese freestyle aerials team has racked up a total of 19 medals since the discipline was added to the Olympic program in 1994, drawing comparisons with the country's all-conquering diving and table tennis teams at the Summer Games.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn