Eileen Gu is exhausted but still hopeful. The U.S.-born Chinese freestyle skier is aiming for another gold medal in her third event at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The 23-year-old has maintained her consistency on the podium, even if she didn’t achieve the desired results in previous events. The women’s halfpipe finals will take place Feb. 21 at the Livigno Snow Park in Valtellina.
Eileen Gu Reveals Struggles Of Participating In Three Events At Milano Cortina Winter Olympics
Gu revealed that competing in three consecutive events at the Winter Olympics is far from a cakewalk. She wrote in her recent Instagram post:
“Made pipe finals! 2 months off from pipe caught up to me a little bit on that first run .. obvi competing in 3 events is my choice but I am definitely being reminded why I’m the only one doing it rn 😵💫 #ineedanap. Time to readjust now before finals 🤍”
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Gu didn’t perform up to expectations yet maintained enough consistency to finish fifth in the preliminary round, securing a spot in the women’s halfpipe finals. She is the defending champion in this event, having won gold at the previous edition in Beijing.
Gu recovered from an early mistake to secure qualification for the freestyle skiing halfpipe final. “I’m glad I was able to reinforce my sense of self-belief at the moment when it counted,” she said.
READ MORE: Eileen Gu Stands Firm on Her Legacy After Back-to-Back Silvers at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The 23-year-old has gained fame for her consistent performances at major world events, including the Youth Olympics and World Championships. Gu was less than 20 when she made her debut at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. She won two gold medals in big air and halfpipe, along with a silver in slopestyle.
She had achieved the same medal haul at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne. However, not everything went as planned at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in 2026. While the Chinese skier maintained her position in slopestyle, she was edged out by Canadian freestyle skier Megan Oldham in big air, who went on to win gold. Despite the setback, Gu held her composure to claim silver, while Italy’s Flora Tabanelli won bronze.
Gu has faced controversy over alleged kickbacks to recruit athletes of Chinese origin to the contingent. She has apparently ignored those allegations to focus on her bigger goal: an Olympic gold medal at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. She hopes to return home with gold in the halfpipe.
