Additional Coverage:
- Eileen Gu secures gold medal to end Winter Olympics run (foxnews.com)
Eileen Gu Secures Historic Gold in Freeski Halfpipe, Caps Off Record-Breaking Olympics
Milan, Italy – Eileen Gu, the American-born skier representing Team China, has officially solidified her place in Olympic history, concluding her 2026 Winter Games campaign with a gold medal in the women’s freeski halfpipe event. This victory marks her second consecutive gold in the discipline and establishes her as the most decorated freeskier in Olympic history.
Gu’s golden moment arrived during her final run, where she delivered an electrifying performance to score 94.75 points, narrowly edging out her second run score by 0.75 points. The competition saw her Chinese teammate Li Fangui secure silver with 93.00, while Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin earned the bronze with a score of 92.50.
Her impressive showing at the Milan Cortina Games culminates in a remarkable three-medal haul: gold in the halfpipe, and silver medals in both big air and slopestyle. This brings her career Olympic medal tally to six.
In a statement following her win, Gu emphasized the significance of her achievements. “The reason I love the records so much is that it’s not about man or woman,” Gu stated.
“I’m the most decorated freeskier of all time, male or female. … That’s a testament to competitive strength, it’s mental strength.
It’s being able to perform under pressure. It has nothing to (do with) if you’re a boy or a girl.”
Gu’s decision to compete for China has been a point of contention, drawing criticism from various figures, including US Vice President JD Vance. Recent reports from The Wall Street Journal indicate that Gu and fellow American-born figure skater Zhu Yi, who also competes for China, received substantial payments from the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau. The report details a combined $6.6 million in 2025 for “striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics,” with total payments over the past three years reportedly nearing $14 million.
Vice President Vance addressed the controversy in a recent interview, expressing his hope that individuals who have benefited from the American system would choose to represent the United States. “I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that makes this country a great place, I would hope they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance commented.
“So, I’m going to root for American athletes. I think part of that is people who identify themselves as Americans.
That’s who I’m rooting for in this Olympics.”
Gu, however, views the criticism as politically motivated. “I do,” she responded when asked if she felt like a “punching bag for a certain strand of American politics.”
She elaborated, “So many athletes compete for a different country. … People only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China.
So it’s not really about what they think it’s about. And also, because I win.
Like if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions.”
Gu has previously disclosed experiencing “physical assault” due to her choice to represent China.
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- Eileen Gu secures gold medal to end Winter Olympics run (foxnews.com)