Gabi's Story
Fast Facts
Sport: Freestyle Skiing
Event: Aerials
Olympic History: Beijing 2022
Highlights: 3x top 10s at World Cups events 2020-21, World Championships Kazakhstan 2021
Coach: David Morris
Year Born: 1998
State Born: NSW
About Gabi
Like many top-line aerial skiers, Gabi Ash’s background in diving and gymnastics has laid a solid foundation to excel in her new sport.
She moved into the Victoria Institute of Sport’s aerial skiing program in 2017, getting an impressive 15th placing in her international competition debut at the 2017 Europa Cup in Finland.
Gabi had 10 World Cup starts to her name up to Beijing 2022. She enjoyed two top-10 placings in the 2017-18 season – 4th and 6th in Nor-Am Cup competitions in Canada and the USA.
The 2019-20 season was one to remember as she recorded her first podium finishes – bronze medals at both the Lake Placid (USA) and Le Relais (Canada) Nor-Am Cup events. In 2020-21 Gabi recorded her World Championship debut in Almaty, Kazakhstan placing 15th.
On the lead into the Olympics she landed some of her best World Cup results - 7th at Deer Valley, USA in February 2021, 9th in Almaty, Kazakhstan in March 2021 and 6th at Ruka, Finland in December 2021.
She enjoyed two top-10 placings in the 2017-18 season – 4th and 6th in Nor-Am Cup competitions in Canada and the USA.
The 2019-20 season was one to remember as she recorded her first podium finishes – bronze medals at both the Lake Placid (USA) and Le Relais (Canada) Nor-Am Cup events.
A season later Gabi recorded her World Championship debut in Almaty, Kazakhstan placing 15th.
Gabi had the added incentive of working alongside Australian aerial skiers, and eventual Beijing 2022 teammates, Laura Peel and Danielle Scott. At the end of the 2021 season all three women were ranked in the world’s top-30 (Laura 1st, Danielle 14th and Gabi 26th).
In qualifying at Beijing 2022 Gabi landed both of her jumps, showing great potential in the process. The 80.04 from her second jump was just 1.54 away from earning a finals berth, ultimately finishing 14th.
Gabi is studying a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University.
Her older sister Sophie Ash also made her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 in moguls. They are the first Australian sisters to compete on the same Australian Winter Olympic Team.
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