Eileen Gu arrived late to her press conference after winning halfpipe gold at the Winter Olympics, revealing she had just learned of her grandmother’s death before paying an emotional tribute
20:18 ET, 22 Feb 2026Updated 10:17 ET, 23 Feb 2026
Eileen Gu was in tears in her Olympic gold medal winning press conference(Image: YouTube/AP)
Chinese athlete Eileen Gu has disclosed she learned of her grandmother’s death just moments after securing gold in the Winter Olympics halfpipe competition.
The 22-year-old, who has been ‘physically assaulted’ and received death threats over a controversial decision, arrived late to her press conference following her triumph in Livigno, having only just received word of her cherished grandmother’s passing, having cemented her legacy with a historic win.
A clearly distressed Gu said: “The reason I was late is that I just found out that my grandma passed away. She was a really big part of my life growing up and someone I looked up to immensely.” It comes after an Olympic cheating scandal deepened as a five-word comment was caught on hot mic.
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Whilst the precise time of her grandmother’s death remains unknown, Gu delivered a moving tribute during the media conference, saying: “She was so strong, 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 and she inspired me so much. The last time I saw her before I came to the Olympics she was very sick so I knew that 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.
Gold medalist Ailing Eileen Gu broke down in a press conference at the Winter Olympics.
“It actually goes back to that promise that I made my grandma and so 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 so I really apologise for being late but that’s what was going on.”
Gu secured gold, solidifying her position as the most decorated Olympic freestyle skier in history with six medals. After her triumph, she reflected: “I’m so proud of how I’ve done this Olympics. I chose to do three events knowing that I had to train halfpipe in two months, knowing that I would miss the half-pipe training in case I made big air finals, which I also hadn’t competed in in four years.
“Being able to really trust myself that when it came down to the moment, that I would be able to perform to the best of my ability regardless of medal colour or medal in general – that’s a big bet. And also the difficulty of competing in three events, making finals in three events. I had to compete six times.
“I kind of liken it to a marathon, but the pace of a 100m dash. Because every day is the Olympics. I have to give 100 per cent every day. So there’s no day that I can just chill a little, because every day matters.
Eileen Gu (middle) won gold in the women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe final(Image: AP)
“So I guess what I mean to say with that is I have done something that I took a big risk in trusting myself, and I’m glad that I did. I walk away as the most decorated free skier of all time, male or female, and the most gold medals of any free skier ever, male or female. And that is something that I’m so, so proud of. It’s unbelievable to me. It’s still surreal.”
Gu’s path at the Winter Olympics has been far from simple, with the athlete encountering intense backlash over her decision to represent China, despite growing up in the United States. After spending her childhood in San Francisco and skiing for Team USA until age 15, she made the switch to her mother’s homeland, with critics claiming that profitable Chinese endorsement contracts were the real motivation behind her decision.
Gu has firmly dismissed these accusations, telling TIME Magazine: “I’m glad that there’s enough money in the sport now for people to think that’s a consideration.”
Elsewhere, Canada’s curling star was accused of cheating again as Olympic fans fumed during the gold medal game.
