Eileen Gu breaks down following grandmother’s death

Eileen Gu broke down in tears after learning of her grandmother’s death following her gold-medal performance in the women’s halfpipe final at the Winter Olympics.

The 22-year-old became emotional as she addressed her late arrival to the post event press conference following another landmark moment in her career.

“The reason I was late is that I just found out that my grandma passed away,” said Gu.

“She was a really big part of my life growing up and someone I looked up to immensely.”

The freestyle skiing star chose to change her sporting nationality from the United States to China in 2019, a move shaped in part by her grandmother’s heritage.

Though visibly heartbroken, Gu went on to explain why her grandmother, Feng, whose name she shares as her middle name, had been such a profound source of inspiration in her life.

“She was such a strong person, she was a fighter. I think what’s interesting is a lot of people just cruise through life, but she was a steamship,” explained Gu.

“This woman commanded life and she grabbed it by the reins, and she made it into what she wanted it to be, she inspired me so much.

“The last time I saw her before I came to the Olympics she was very sick, so I knew this was a possibility.

“I didn’t promise her that I was going to win but I did promise her that I was going to be brave like she has been brave, and that’s why I keep referring to this theme of betting on myself and being brave and taking risks. It actually goes back to that promise that I made my grandma.

“I’m really happy that I was able to uphold that and hopefully do her proud but it’s also a really difficult time for me, so I really apologise for being late but that’s what was going on.”

Gu delivered a technically superb performance to claim her first gold at the Games in the women’s halfpipe final. After an uncharacteristically tentative opening run, Gu responded under pressure with a dominant second effort before sealing victory with a soaring final run that scored 94.75.

The victory saw her successfully defend her Olympic halfpipe title as she secured her sixth career Olympic medal, making her the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history.

As she wiped away her tears, Gu offered a far more humble assessment of her triumph than the world has come to expect, with her performances and personality elevating freestyle skiing to new heights at this year’s Games.

“Being able to lead the way and pioneer the sport is something I never imagined I’d be able to do, and I’m really honored and proud that I have.”