'I promised her I'd be brave': Eileen Gu breaks down in tears, reveals family heartbreak after record win
Updated . First published at
An emotional Eileen Gu broke down in tears as she revealed a private family heartbreak after soaring to victory in Sunday's freeski halfpipe final to claim her first gold of Milano Cortina 2026.
The triumph cemented her status as the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history, surpassing all others in both gold and total medal counts.
The 22-year-old — who had already won silver in slopestyle and big air earlier in the Games — recorded a top score of 94.75 at Livigno Snow Park, narrowly edging out her Chinese teammate Li Fanghui (93.00).
READ MORE: Aussie teen prodigy misses podium as Gu clinches gold
READ MORE: One lie that prompted Israel to disqualify its own bobsleigh team
READ MORE: 'Cooked' star collapses after rain chaos lashes Supercars
Eileen Gu's record-breaking gold in the halfpipe was met with tears as she revealed the heartbreaking loss of her grandmother. X
Speaking at her post-event press conference, Gu expressed her pride in the record-breaking win.
However, her composure gave way to tears as she revealed the reason for her late arrival: she had learned of her grandmother's death just moments after the medal ceremony.
"The reason I was late [is that] I just found out that my grandma passed away, and she was a really big part of my life growing up and someone I looked up to immensely," Gu told media.
"She was such a stronger — 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. This woman commanded life, and she grabbed it by the reins, and she made it what she wanted it to be.
"She inspired me so much. The last time I saw her before I came over to the Olympics, she was very sick, so I knew this was a possibility. I didn't promise her 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 [between] me and my grandma. So I'm really happy I was able to uphold that and hopefully do her proud, but it's also a really difficult time for me."
Having sought a perfect golden sweep at these Games, Gu had faced a series of narrow misses until Sunday's long-awaited victory.
The triumph brings her Olympic career total to six medals from six events, extending a perfect podium record across Beijing 2022 and Milano Cortina 2026.
With three golds and three silvers now to her name, she stands as the most decorated freestyle skier in history, surpassing the record previously shared with Canada's Mikael Kingsbury and China's Xu Mengtao.
China's Eileen Gu poses with her latest haul of medals after defending her Olympic title in the women's freestyle skiing halfpipe final at Milano Cortina 2026. AP
By medalling in every single Olympic event she has entered, Gu has moved clear into a league of her own.
Just as she was in Beijing 2022, Gu has been a primary focal point of the Milano Cortina 2026 marketing and media coverage.
That star power was on full display as she celebrated her victory in front of her supporters and received her gold medal while wearing a large golden bow in her hair.
