Eileen Gu won the women's freeski halfpipe final at the Milan Cortina Olympics on February 22, 2026, with a score of 94.75 on her third run. The event had been postponed from Saturday due to heavy snow. Gu, 22, struggled on her first run but delivered strong second and third performances. China's Li Fanghui won silver (93.00) and Britain's Zoe Atkin took bronze (92.50).
This was Gu's third medal at the 2026 Games (gold in halfpipe, silvers in slopestyle and big air) and her sixth Olympic medal overall across two Winter Games. With these achievements, she became the most decorated freeskier in Olympic history since the disciplines were introduced, surpassing a tie with Canada's Mikael Kingsbury and China's Xu Mengtao.
Shortly after the competition, Gu arrived late to her press conference and revealed that she had just learned her maternal grandmother, Feng Guozhen, had died. Gu explained her grandmother had been very sick before the Olympics and that she had promised her she would "be brave" — a promise she referenced throughout the Games. Gu's middle name, Feng, honors her grandmother, who helped raise her in San Francisco alongside her mother.
Gu was born in the United States but switched to represent China in 2019. Her decision has generated ongoing controversy and political commentary, including recent criticism from Vice President JD Vance. Reports indicate she and another American-born athlete were paid approximately $14 million over three years by Chinese sports authorities.