Olympic champion Eileen Gu paid tribute to her grandmother after winning half-pipe gold on Sunday, revealing that she found out she had passed away shortly after competing.
Gu, who represents China, was raised in San Francisco by her mother and maternal grandmother, Feng Guozhen.
The 22-year-old is already the most decorated freeskier of all time, winning two silvers (in slopestyle and Big Air) and a gold in Milano-Cortina to add to two golds and a silver in Beijing four years ago.
She won gold in Sunday’s half-pipe final – her strongest discipline of the three she competes in – and arrived late to her press conference after finding out that her grandmother, who had been ill, had passed away.
Gu was in tears as she 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.
“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.
“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.”
Earlier, Gu had said: “I’m so proud of how I’ve done this Olympics. 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.
“I chose to do three events knowing that I had to train half-pipe 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.
“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.”
Gu won gold in Livigno Snow Park on the final day of the Games with a score of 94.75, with compatriot Li Fanghui second and GB’s Zoe Atkin third.
