“She was a really big part of my life growing up, and someone I looked up to immensely,” the skier reflected
Fu Tian/China News Service/VCG/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Eileen Gu tearfully revealed that she learned her grandma had died shortly after she won gold in the women’s freeski halfpipe at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- “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,” the skier said of her late grandma in a press conference
- After earning her sixth Olympic medal, Gu became the most decorated freeskier in Olympic history
Eileen Gu is dedicating her Olympic win to her late grandmother.
After defending her freestyle skiing halfpipe Olympic gold at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the 22-year-old athlete, who was born and raised in the United States but competed for Team China, tearfully revealed during a press conference that she found out her grandma, Guozhen Feng, died just moments before.
“She was a really big part of my life growing up, and someone I looked up to immensely,” Gu said while wiping away tears. “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 into what she wanted it to be,” she continued. “She inspired me so much.”
Fu Tian/China News Service/VCG/Getty
Noting that her grandma was “very sick” before she came to compete in the Olympics, Gu recalled promising to embody her grandma’s courage on the slopes.
“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,” she explained. “It actually goes back to that promise that I made my grandma.”
She added, “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 now.”
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After taking home the gold in her final event at Livigno Snow Park, bringing her Milan Cortina medal count up to three, Gu told reporters, “I gave my all every single day that I’ve been here, and that’s no joke.”
As her sixth medal across two Games secured her spot as the most decorated freeskier in Olympic history of either sex, Gu explained why she loves “the records so much.”
"I’m the most decorated freeskier of all time, male or female," she emphasized. "I have the most gold medals ever, male or female. That’s a testament to competitive strength, it’s mental strength. It’s being able to perform under pressure, it has nothing to [do with] if you’re a boy or a girl."
The Team China star also expressed feeling proud to be "able to lead the way and pioneer the sport" through her successes. And although she "never imagined" having that opportunity, she's "really honored and proud that I have."
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.
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