China's Eileen Gu wins gold in women’s halfpipe at Winter Olympics

Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAYSun, February 22, 2026 at 11:12 AM UTC

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LIVIGNO, Italy — Eileen Gu competed here, over three separate events, for more than two weeks.

On the final day of the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Chinese freestyle skier won gold.

The American-born, Stanford-educated Gu won the women’s halfpipe competition Sunday, Feb. 22, hours before the closing ceremony began.

Gu’s second run clearly pleased the judges, who rewarded her with a 94.00 and improved in her third run to a 94.75.Gu took silver in the big air and slopestyle competitions and was the lone woman to compete in all three events, something she did four years ago at the Beijing Winter Olympics, where she made history by winning two gold and a silver.

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With six medals in six events now, the 22-year-old is the most-decorated women’s free skier of all time.

1 / 0See Eileen Gu compete at Olympics for China amid Vance scrutiny

China's Gu Ailing Eileen reacts in the freestyle skiing women's freeski big air final run 3 during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Livigno Snow Park, in Livigno (Valtellina), on February 16, 2026. Vice President JD Vance suggested the San Francisco-born skier should be competing for the U.S. as the Stanford student accumulates medals representing China in the Olympics.

Gu struggled on her first run, a common theme for her at these Games. She delivered a technically sound run the second time she dropped into the pipe. On her third, Americans Kate Gray and Svea Irving were the two Team USA members who advanced to finals, (Irving slammed into the snow on her first run, opted out of her second and struggled to make it through her third.)

China’s Fanghui Li took silver while Zoe Atkin of Great Britain won bronze. Americans did not sniff the podium.

Cassie Sharpe of Canada figured to be a medal contender but a brutal fall during her second run of qualifiers knocked her out of finals.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eileen Gu wins gold in women’s halfpipe at 2026 Winter Olympics

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