Eileen Gu let her emotions flow while talking about her grandmother, Guozhen Feng’s passing, which she was informed of after her record-breaking gold medal win.
Gu defended her halfpipe title on the final day of the Olympics, becoming the most decorated freestyle skier ever with six medals (three gold, three silver) at the Games.
Gu’s final event was initially scheduled for Feb. 21, but a storm warning and snowy conditions on the slope prompted the authorities to reschedule it to ensure the safety of the athletes.
Eileen Gu Hails Her Grandmother’s Remarkable After Learning About Her Passing Amid the Games
Gu had the last chance of winning a gold in the halfpipe finals, after a couple of runner-up finishes in the slopestyle and big air events.
She earned 94.75 points in her final run, outpacing Li Fanghui of China and Zoe Atkin of Great Britain. Her monumental win broke the all-time Olympic freestyle skiing medal record.
While it was a time of celebration for the Chinese skier, just moments after her victory, she learned that her grandmother passed away. In a press conference later, she broke down in tears while sharing that her grandmother had been one of the most influential people in her life growing up.
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She described her as a fearless woman who lived life entirely on her own terms. Speaking about the impact her grandmother had on her, Gu said:
“She was such a strong person. She was a fighter, and I think what’s so interesting is that a lot of people just cruise through life, but she was a steamship like this woman commanded life, and she grabbed it by the reins, and she made it into what she wanted it to be.”
The six-time Olympic medalist also shared that she promised her grandmother that she would be brave no matter what, despite not promising her she would win.
“I didn’t promise her that I was gonna win. But I did promise her that I was gonna be brave like she has been brave, and that’s why I keep referring to this theme of like betting on myself and being brave and taking risks. It actually goes back to that promise that I made my grandma, and so I’m really happy that I was able to uphold that,” she said.
Gu was the only woman at this Olympic edition to compete in all three freestyle skiing events. After qualifying for the halfpipe finals, she shared a post explaining that competing after two months away from the event made her first run difficult.
However, she also admitted that she had nothing to complain about, as it was her own decision to participate in slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe.
The 22-year-old faced several roadblocks at the Milan–Cortina Games, including scheduling conflicts, as her halfpipe training sessions clashed with her big air competition. She also faced backlash for her decision to compete for her mother’s country despite being born and raised in the United States.
