Eileen Gu has secured her place in the Olympic record books by successfully defending her women’s ski halfpipe title at the Milan Cortina Games. The 22-year-old, who competes for China, finished the competition on Sunday with a gold medal, bringing her career total to six medals across two Olympic Games.
However, the celebratory atmosphere at the Livigno Snow Park was quickly overshadowed by personal tragedy. Gu arrived late to her post-victory press conference, visibly emotional, to share that she had just been informed of the passing of her grandmother, Feng Guozhen.
A heartfelt tribute
Speaking through tears, Gu described her grandmother as a fundamental influence on her life and career. She explained that she had been aware of her grandmother’s declining health before traveling to the Winter Olympics.
“The reason I was late is that I just found out that my grandma passed away. She was a really big part of my life growing up and someone I looked up to immensely,” Gu told reporters.
Read more: Why Eileen Gu Is Skiing for China Again at the 2026 Winter Olympics
She compared her grandmother’s strength to that of a “steamship,” noting that she “commanded life” and “grabbed it by the reins.” Gu added that her performance on the slopes was driven by a commitment she made before the Games.
“I didn’t promise her that I was going to win but I did promise her that I was going to be brave like she has been brave and that’s why I keep referring to this theme of betting on myself and being brave and taking risks,” Gu said.
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Historic achievement on the snow
On the mountain, Gu’s dominance remained undisputed. Despite a fall during her opening run, she recovered to post the two highest scores of the final. Her best score of 94.75 placed her comfortably ahead of teammate Li Fanghui, who took silver, and Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin, who claimed the bronze.
The victory means Gu is now the most successful freestyle skier in history, male or female. She has competed in six Olympic events over her career—halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air in both Beijing and Milan Cortina—and has stood on the podium every single time.
“I walk away as the most decorated free skier of all time, male or female, and the most gold medals of any free skier ever, male or female. And that is something that I’m so, so proud of,” she said.
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Gu’s success has often been accompanied by intense scrutiny. Born and raised in San Francisco, her decision to represent China instead of the United States has made her a target for political debate. Most recently, US Vice President JD Vance joined the list of public figures who have questioned her allegiance.
Gu has consistently defended her choice, stating that she hopes to inspire young people in China to take up winter sports. She recently told Time Magazine that she preferred “building her own pond” in a country where freestyle skiing was not yet a major sport.
Addressing her critics on Sunday, she maintained her usual stance: “I encourage those people to use that energy and direct it toward something that makes the world better in their own way.”
As the Milan Cortina Games draw to a close, Gu intends to return to her studies at Stanford University. While her sporting future remains bright, her immediate focus appears to be on her family following their loss.
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