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Eileen Gu, the controversial American-born Chinese team skier, finished her run at the 2026 Winter Olympics with a gold medal in the women’s freestyle half-pipe event.
Gu won the gold medal in her final race of the event. She scored 94.75, just 0.75 points better than her second run. No one came close to hitting his mark. His Chinese compatriot Li Fangui could not do better than 93.00. Britain’s Zoe Atkin won the bronze medal with a score of 92.50.
Gu scored 94.00 in his second run. This victory is his second consecutive gold medal in halfpipe.
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Chinese gold medalist Eileen Gu poses with her medals after winning the women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
She finished her run at the Milan Cortina Games with three medals in total: gold in halfpipe and silver in big air and slicestyle. She has six medals to her credit.
Gu is already the most decorated freeskier in the short history of the Olympics.
“The reason I love these records so much is that it’s not about a man or a woman,” Gu said. “I’m the most decorated freeskier of all time, male or female. … It speaks to competitive strength, it’s mental toughness. It’s being able to perform under pressure. It has nothing to do with whether you’re a boy or a girl.”
Gu was criticized for her decision to compete for China. US Vice President JD Vance was among those who criticized the athlete.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Gu and Zhu Yi, another American-born figure skater who now competes for China, received a total of $6.6 million from the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 for “striving to achieve excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.” In total, the two men reportedly received nearly $14 million over the past three years.
China’s Eileen Gu competes in the women’s freestyle skiing half-pipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, February 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Vance weighed in on the controversy surrounding Gu in an interview Tuesday on PK Press Club’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum.”
“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America and who has benefited from our education system, the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I would hope that they would want to compete with the United States of America,” he said.
“So I’m going to support American athletes. I think part of that is people who identify as Americans. That’s why I support these Olympics.”
Gu admitted that she felt like a “punching bag for a certain part of American politics.”
“Yes,” she said, according to USA Today. “So many athletes compete for a different country… People only have a problem with me because they lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So it’s not really what they think.
Chinese gold medalist Eileen Gu celebrates her victory in the women’s freestyle skiing half-pipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, February 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
“And also, because I’m winning. If I wasn’t doing well, I think they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s fine with me. People are entitled to their opinions.”
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Gu has previously said she was “physically attacked” for her decision to represent China.
