In LIVIGNO, Italy, Eileen Gu successfully retained her Olympic ski halfpipe championship this past Sunday, bringing her total medal count to six from six competitions throughout her Winter Games career.
Gu, aged 22, though American by birth, represents her mother’s native China and has already established herself as the most highly awarded freeskier within the sport’s relatively brief Olympic existence. She furthermore garnered a pair of silver medals at the Milan Cortina Games, augmenting her collection of two golds and a single silver from the Beijing Games.
Gu triumphed in the competition, a victory attributed to the excellence of her second attempt, which was a flawless, expertly executed sequence. She further improved during her concluding run — demonstratively pumping her ski poles following the completion of the ultimate maneuver — ultimately achieving a remarkable score of 94.75. Her fellow competitor, Li Fanghui, secured the silver medal, while Britain’s Zoe Atkin clinched third place.
The competition’s date had been shifted to Sunday due to a substantial blizzard the preceding evening.