Winter Olympics 2026: Eileen Gu wins 2nd consecutive gold in women's freeski halfpipe

Eileen Gu has won her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the women’s freeski halfpipe. After pulling out on her first run and scoring a 30.00, she bounced back significantly with a 94.00 and 94.75.

China took the first two spots on the podium with Gu’s teammate Li Fanghui earning silver with a 93.00 on her third run.

Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin, Gu's teammate at Stanford, was on top after her first run, but couldn’t recover from missing a landing on her second despite getting the most amplitude on her jumps among the competitors in the field. 

She scored a 92.50 on her third run to finish behind Gu and Fanghui after placing first during qualifying.

Gu, 22, has earned six medals competing in two Winter Olympic Games, making her the most accomplished freestyle skier in Olympic history. 

In Milan Cortina, her gold in the Halfpipe joins the silver medals she earned in Slopestyle and Big Air. She was the only freestyle skier to compete in all three events, let alone earn medals in each of them. At the 2022 Beijing Games, Gu took gold in Halfpipe and Big Air, along with silver in Slopestyle. 

Beginning her Olympic career at such a young age, it appears more than likely that Gu will add to her impressive medal total in four years at the 2020 Winter Games in the French Alps.

Gu's success has also made her controversial, choosing to represent China despite being American-born. Being an accomplished athlete and photogenic star in both countries has allowed her to make millions of dollars, reportedly earning $23.1 million in 2025.

Team USA's Kate Gray (66.50) and Svea Irving (22.50) finished 10th and 11th, respectively, in the competition. Irving landed hard on her right hip on her first run and did not complete her third.

Sunday's event was delayed from Saturday due to heavy snow making the halfpipe course unsafe for competition.