Olympics
Chinese-American Eileen Gu has won Olympic gold in the halfpipe event in Livigno, Italy. With her victory, she defended her Olympic title from 2022, and extends her medal tally to six Olympic medals, making her the most decorated Olympic Freeski Park & Pipe athlete in history.
“I never really set out to be a professional athlete, I was just doing what I love. I was pouring every bit of myself into this sport, and so I’m really proud of myself. More than anything I hope this platform enables more girls to see the sport and try it.”
— Eileen Gu
The Olympic halfpipe final was moved from Saturday evening to Sunday morning, February 22, after heavy snowfall made it impossible to hold a safe and fair competition.
Zoe Atkin from Team GB threw down the gauntlet with a strong run 1, leading with a score of 90.50, as Eileen Gu made a mistake and abandoned her run, earning only 30 points.
On run 2, Gu stepped it up to score a 94 with a right cork 900 mute linked with a left cork 900 tail, then a right 720 tail and switch left 720 Japan before finishing off with back-to-back alley-oop flat 540s.
- Related: [OLYMPICS] Canada’s Megan Oldham Wins Gold in Women’s Ski Big Air While Eileen Gu Falls Short
Her teammate Fanhui Li stepped up to the plate, scoring a 91.50, while Atkin’s run 2 did not improve on her first.
All three women stepped it up for run 3, improving their scores to 94.75 for Gu, 93 for Li, and 92.5 for Atkin, awarding them gold, silver, and bronze.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Indra Brown, who burst onto the World Cup scene this season, finished in an impressive fifth place with a score of 87. The 16-year-old Melbourne school girl will sure be one to watch in the future. She is currently leading the Freeski Park & Pipe discipline with 290 points after winning one World Cup Halfpipe event in Calgary, Canada, in January this year, and placing second and third, respectively, in Copper, Colorado, and Secret Garden, China, in December 2025.
- Related: 15-Year-Old Australian Wins Women’s Halfpipe World Cup in Calgary, AB, as Nick Goepper Wins Men’s
Eileen Gu shared during the press conference after the race that she just found out her grandmother on her mother’s side had passed away. “She inspired me so much,” Gu admitted in the post-race press conference. “The last time I saw her before I came to the Olympics, she was very sick, so I knew that this was a possibility,” Gu admitted. “I didn’t probably say that I was going to win, but I did promise her that I was going to be brave. She’s been brave,” she added, wiping away tears and forcing a brave smile.
