Eileen Gu, the American-born skier representing Team China, has concluded her Winter Olympics run with a gold medal in the women's freeski halfpipe. Gu secured the victory with a dominant 94.75 score on her final run, surpassing her closest competitor, Chinese teammate Li Fangui, by over a point.
This gold medal marks Gu's second consecutive halfpipe title and brings her total medal count for the Games to three, including silvers in big air and slopestyle. She is now the most decorated freeskier in Olympic history.
Gu's decision to compete for China over the United States has drawn criticism. She stated that she feels like a "punching bag for a certain strand of American politics," attributing the backlash to a generalized dislike of China rather than her athletic choices. Gu noted that many athletes represent different countries and suggested her success contributes to the scrutiny.
Reports indicate Gu and fellow American-born skater Zhu Yi were compensated significantly by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau for their Olympic performance over the past three years.