Gu becomes most decorated Olympic freestyle skier with Milano Cortina Halfpipe gold

Eileen Gu (CHN) ended her Milano Cortina 2026 campaign as her Olympic career started — as a champion. The triple threat won Halfpipe gold on Sunday, becoming the first woman to secure back-to-back titles and adding to her Slopestyle and Big Air silvers from Livigno Snow Park.

In six starts, she has amassed three golds and three silvers to underline her status as the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history. Gu was the first freestyle skier to win three medals during a single Winter Games at Beijing 2022.

Her winning score of 94.75 points came on her third run as she improved on a 94.00-point effort from her second attempt. In both runs, she linked a right cork 900 Buick with a left cork 900 tail, then a right 720 tail and switch left 720 Japan before finishing off with back-to-back alley-oop flat 540s.

Compatriot Li Fanghui (CHN) took silver on 93.00 points and Zoe Atkin (GBR) settled for bronze on 92.50 points as all medalists saved their best for last despite being in podium positions. Li posted 91.50 on her second run.

Reigning world champion Atkin set the podium pace with her first run garnering 90.50 points. The top qualifier clipped the deck while attempting an alley-oop on her second effort after opening her run with a left 540 5.4 meters out of the pipe — the highest amplitude of the day. And while she improved her score with her final attempt, it was not enough to prevent a historic one-two finish for China.

Coming into these Games, China never had more than one representative on an Olympic Halfpipe podium. But with 22-year-old Gu inspiring a nation of talented skiers, China’s four women’s Halfpipe competitors all came through qualifying, with Zhang Kexin and Liu Yishan finishing sixth and ninth in the final respectively.

There were 11 finalists as Cassie Sharpe (CAN), the Pyeongchang 2018 champion and Beijing 2022 silver medalist, did not start following her crash in qualification.

Indra Brown (AUS), the 16-year-old 2025/26 Halfpipe Crystal Globe leader, finished fifth (87.00) on the strength of her third run, where she stomped a cork 1080.

Like Li, reigning Halfpipe Crystal Globe winner Atkin celebrated her first Olympic medal after finishing ninth at Beijing 2022. It was Great Britain’s second ever Freestyle Skiing medal after her older sister Isabel took Pyeongchang 2018 Slopestyle bronze.

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