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Eileen Gu, the controversial American-born skier on Team China, finished her career at the 2026 Winter Olympics with a gold medal in the women’s freeski halfpipe event.
Gu delivered the gold medal in his final run of the event. She earned a score of 94.75, just 0.75 points better than her second run. No one came close to touching his mark. Her Chinese teammate Li Fangui could not surpass 93.00. Britain’s Zoe Atkin won the bronze medal with a score of 92.50.
Gu scored 94.00 on his second run. The 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 ski halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
He finished his career at the Cortina Games in Milan with three medals in total: gold in the halfpipe event and silver in big air and enlopestyle. He has six medals on his resume.
Gu is already the most decorated free skier in the short history of the Olympic Games.
“The reason I love records so much is because it’s not about a man or a woman,” Gu said. “I’m the most decorated free skier 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 whether you’re a boy or a girl.”
Gu has been criticized for her decision to compete for China, as US Vice President JD Vance has been among those critical of the athlete.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Gu and Zhu Yi, an American-born figure skater who now competes for China, were paid a combined $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 for “striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.” In total, the two were paid almost $14 million over the past three years.
China’s Eileen Gu competes during the women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
AMERICAN OLYMPIAN ALYSA LIU WAS THE TARGET OF CHINESE SPIES: THIS IS WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT
Vance weighed in on the controversy surrounding Gu in an interview Tuesday on Pak Gazette’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum.”
“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America and benefited from our educational system, from the freedoms that make this country a great place, I hope they 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 who I’m rooting for in these Olympics.”
Gu agreed that he felt like a “punching bag for a certain strain of American politics.”
“Yes,” he said, according to USA Today. “A lot of athletes compete for a different country… People just have a problem with them doing it because they lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So it’s not really what they think it’s about.
Chinese gold medalist Eileen Gu celebrates winning the women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
“And also because I win. If I wasn’t doing well, I think they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s fine with me. People have a right to their opinions.”
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Gu has previously said she was “physically attacked” for her decision to represent China.
