Zhangjiakou, China, February 18, 2022: Eileen Gu Ailing has done it again!
The 18-year-old Chinese freestyle skiing sensation won her second gold medal of the Winter Olympics on Friday in the women’s freeski halfpipe at Genting Snow Park.
Gu had a best score of 95.25 on the second of her three runs. Canada’s defending champion Cassie Sharpe won the silver with her last run of 90.75 and fellow Canadian Rachael Karker took bronze with her first run score of 87.75.
Gu had already won gold in big air and silver in slopestyle, so ended her first Winter Olympics with two gold and one silver – exactly the same collection of medals when representing China in the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne two years ago.
"It has been two straight weeks of the most intense highs and lows I've ever experienced in my life,” said Gu, who celebrated with a victory lap.
"It has changed my life forever. I'm so honoured to be here and I'm even more honoured by this platform that I've been given to be able to spread this message and inspire young girls through my own passion for the sport and to be able hopefully spread the sport to people that might not have heard of it before."
She said she performed the victory lap because it was her last event of the Olympics and “it feels like I finally deserve it”.
On the attractions of skiing, she added: "Skiing is all about fun and individuality and being able to express yourself and find that flow, and for myself I really find that in halfpipe.
"Being able to feel the rhythm of the walls, and being able to put unique grabs, to try different axis, spin different directions - it's really fun and it's the essence of the sport. I'm really honoured to be able to tap into that."
Summing up her first Winter Olympics experience, Gu said: "I put so much work into this, and to just feel like it was all worth it - all those little moments, the time I put in, in the gym after shooting a fashion editorial for eight to 10 hours, when I ran a half-marathon every week over the summer, when I pushed myself to be the first person in practice and the last person to leave.
"Just all those little moments I feel like added up and it was just this great realisation that it was all worth it and that it was all real.”
Gu could be seen talking to herself before her third run, and she gave an evocative answer as to the subject matter.
"At the top I said, 'My name is Eileen Gu, and I'm the best halfpipe freeskier in the world' (cries). Sorry about crying. So I said that three times. And then, oh my god, sorry (cries). I said, 'I'm really grateful to be here, I can't believe this is real. I love skiing so much. And I love you all'."
Gu’s second gold was China’s eighth of Beijing 2022 – three more than their previous best of five gold medals at Vancouver 2010.
Photo: Getty Images