Eileen Gu Secures Halfpipe Gold at Milan Cortina Olympics, Makes History

Livigno, Italy – Eileen Gu cemented her status as a freestyle skiing icon on Sunday, winning gold in the women’s halfpipe event at the Milan Cortina Olympics. The victory marks her third medal at the Games and makes her the most decorated freestyle skier in Winter Olympics history, with a total of six career medals.

The 22-year-old Gu, competing for China, achieved a winning score of 94.75 at Livigno Snow Park. Her teammate, Li Fanghui, claimed silver with a score of 93.00, while Zoe Atkin of Great Britain secured bronze with 92.50 .

Overcoming Early Challenges

Gu faced a shaky start, scoring only 30.00 on her first run. However, she rebounded with a strong second run, earning a score of 94.00 and taking the lead. She then improved upon that performance with her final run, solidifying her victory.

A Historic Achievement

With this gold medal, Gu now has six Olympic medals – two golds and a silver from the 2022 Beijing Games, and a silver in slopestyle and big air, and now gold in halfpipe at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. She is the most decorated freestyle skier, male or female, in Olympic history .

Competition Recap

Zoe Atkin, the reigning world champion, soared to heights of 5.4 meters (18 feet) during the competition but ultimately settled for bronze . The women’s final was rescheduled from Saturday evening due to heavy snowfall in the Italian Alps, but Sunday’s competition was held under sunny skies.

Gu’s mother, Yan, played a crucial role in helping her regain confidence after the first run, reminding her that she had successfully landed the run five times in training .

Gu’s Continued Dominance

Eileen Gu, born in the U.S. And competing for China, was a standout performer at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and has continued to be a dominant force in the sport at the Milan Cortina Games .