Eileen Gu, the American-born freeskier who competes for China, has won her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the women\u2019s halfpipe. After pulling out on her first run, Gu bounced back with a 94.00 in Run 2 and a 94.75 in Run 3.<\/p>\n
Both were good enough for gold on an emotional day for Gu in which she learned after the competition that her grandmother had died.<\/p>\n
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China took the first two spots on the podium, with Gu\u2019s teammate Li Fanghui earning silver with a 93.00 on her third run.<\/p>\n
Great Britain\u2019s Zoe Atkin, Gu’s classmate at Stanford, was on top after her first run, but couldn\u2019t recover from missing a landing on her second, despite getting the most amplitude on her jumps among the competitors in the field. She won bronze.<\/p>\n
Atkin scored a 92.50 on her third run to finish behind Gu and Fanghui after placing first during qualifying.<\/p>\n
Gu, 22, has earned six medals across two Winter Olympic Games, making her the most accomplished freestyle skier in Olympic history.<\/p>\n
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“Being able to lead the way and pioneer the sport is something I never imagined I\u2019d be able to do,” Gu said after the halfpipe final. “But I\u2019m really honored and proud that I have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tearful Gu learned that her grandmother died after competition<\/p>\n
After the competition, Gu took her news conference podium in tears, having just learned that her grandmother had died. Gu explained that her grandmother was a great inspiration in her life, and that she knew that she was sick heading into the Games.<\/p>\n
“I just found out that my grandma passed away,” Gu said. “She was a really big part of my life growing up and someone I looked up to immensely. She was a fighter. And I think what’s so interesting is that a lot of people just cruise through life, but she was a steamship.<\/p>\n
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“This woman commanded life, and she grabbed it by the reins and she made it what she wanted it to be. And she inspired me so much.”<\/p>\n
Gu’s Milan Cortina medal haul<\/p>\n
In Milan Cortina, Gu adds her gold in the halfpipe to the silver medals she earned in slopestyle and big air. She was the only freestyle skier to compete in all three events, let alone earn medals in each of them. At the 2022 Beijing Games, Gu took gold in Halfpipe and big air, along with silver in slopestyle.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reason I love the records so much is that it\u2019s not about man or woman,” Gu added. “I\u2019m the most decorated freeskier of all time, male or female. I have the most gold medals ever, male or female. That\u2019s a testament to competitive strength, it\u2019s mental strength. It\u2019s being able to perform under pressure.”<\/p>\n
Beginning her Olympic career at such a young age, it appears more than likely that Gu will add to her impressive medal total in four years at the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps.<\/p>\n
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Gu has also become a controversial figure<\/a> over her choice to represent China, where her mother was born, despite herself being born in San Francisco. Being an accomplished athlete and photogenic star in both countries has allowed her to make millions of dollars, reportedly $23.1 million in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n Team USA’s Kate Gray (66.50) and Svea Irving (22.50) finished 10th and 11th, respectively, in the competition. Irving landed hard on her right hip on her first run and did not complete her third.<\/p>\n