LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — By taking chances, Eileen Gu is building a sport. She’s winning medals. Yet on a sunny Sunday at the Olympics where she defended her title on the halfpipe, maybe the best prize of all was knowing her grandma would be proud.
That's why her tears flowed freely. Not long after the victory gave her a record-breaking third Olympic gold medal in freeskiing, Gu learned her grandmother, Guozhen Feng, had died.
“She was a steam ship,” Gu said. “This woman commanded life, and she grabbed it by the reins, and she made it into what she wanted it to be.”
It's the way Gu, the 22-year-old — born in America but competing for her mother's homeland of China — likes to approach skiing, school, life and everything she touches.
“She inspired me so much,” Gu said. “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 probably say that I was going to win, but I did promise her that I was going to be brave. She’s been brave.”
Gu has had to exhibit a certain amount of bravery, too, over her young life.
There's bravery on the mountain, where she puts her health (and her life) on the line with every jump. Then, there's the will of steel she needs to deal with her world off the slopes.
Barely a day has passed at either of her two Olympics when Gu doesn’t get asked about the country she competes for almost as often as her freeskiing.
Not a day passes, either, where she doesn’t lean into the same message she's been delivering for years: “If people disagree with me, if they have other skill sets, which I’m sure they do, then I encourage them to direct it elsewhere,” she said. “To make the world better in their own way.”
At her post-victory news conference, the well-spoken Stanford student handled all the questions — about geopolitics, her brain power, the future of skiing — head-on, but always bringing the conversation back to the reason she has captivated an audience in a sport that doesn't always do that.
“The difficulty of competing in three events, making finals in three events,” she said. “I had to compete six times. I kind of liken it to a marathon, with the pace of a 100-meter dash. … I took a big risk in trusting myself, and I'm glad that I did.”
By trusting, and winning, Gu has become the most decorated freeskier in the short history of the sport at the Olympics.
Beyond the medals, she is growing the sport. She cited a Chinese government study saying more than 300 million people in China have tried snow sports for the first time since she captured her three medals there at the last Olympics.
“There are girls in China whose lives are going to be touched by the beautiful and wonderful power of sport,” Gu said. “That, in and of itself, is absolutely measured impact that I think I had always wanted.”
Asked what her life after skiing might entail, Gu stayed with the broad theme of “global beneficial impact” but said her pillars right now remain skiing, sports and fashion. She'll be at a fashion show in Milan this week.
Things could change down the road.
“I think it’s more assessing your individual skill set and trying to say, ‘OK, what is the way that I can as a person do the most good in the world?’” Gu said. “Right now, I’m young. I’m energetic.”
She'll need it.
The example she has set for skiing has made this a better sport. Four years ago, when Gu closed out those Olympics with a gold on the halfpipe, there was a tinge of resignation among the other skiers. “A machine,” Canada's runner-up Cassie Sharpe said back then. And American Carly Margulies agreed that Gu was skiing at “a level that’s pretty unattainable for a lot of us.”
Now, there's a sense they're catching up. Britain's bronze medalist Zoe Atkin actually jumped higher out of the halfpipe than Gu. China's Li Fanghui finished second and had she tried six tricks instead of five, who knows what might have happened?
“She’s a great skier, and she raises the level for everyone else,” said Canada's Amy Fraser, who finished fourth and is the lone skier to beat Gu over the past four years. “But she’s not unbeatable.”
In a way, that's exactly what Gu wants.
“If I went to a middle school and beat everybody at freestyle, it’s not exciting for anybody, right?” she explained.
Once her news conference was over, she exited out a side door, then climbed a grandstand for a few more pictures, a few more hugs. Her grandma didn't see this victory. But Gu couldn't have done it without her.
“That’s why I keep referring to this theme of betting on myself and being brave and taking risks,” Gu said. “It actually goes back to that promise I made my grandma. I’m really happy that I was able to uphold that and hopefully do her proud.”
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
China's Eileen Gu holds her gold medal alongside her two silver medals after the women's freestyle skiing halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Gold medalist China's Eileen Gu and bronze medalist Britain's Zoe Atkin, right, take a selfie after the women's freestyle skiing halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Gold medalist China's Eileen Gu reacts after winning the women's freestyle skiing halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
MILAN (AP) — No miracle needed. The United States is on top of the hockey world for the first time in nearly a half-century.
Unlike that ragtag group of college kids that pulled off one of the biggest shockers in sports history, the Americans in Milan were a machine that rode goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and a stacked roster full of NHL players through the tournament unbeaten.
“This is all about our country right now,” Hughes said. “I love the U.S.A. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable. The USA Hockey brotherhood is so strong.”
Hughes' goal off the rush off a pass from Zach Werenski 1:41 into 3-on-3 OT sent players into a wild celebration as Canada's entire team watched from the bench. Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk carried a Johnny Gaudreau No. 13 around the ice as the latest tribute to the beloved player who was killed along with his brother in 2024.
Gaudreau's parents, Guy and Jay, his widow, Meredith, and their oldest children were in attendance. It was John Jr.'s second birthday.
Hellebuyck was by far the best player on the ice, stopping 41 of the 42 shots he faced as Canada tilted the ice toward him. He made the save of the tournament by getting his stick on the puck on a shot from Devon Toews in the third period, then minutes later denied Macklin Celebrini on a breakaway — something he also did to Connor McDavid earlier.
"Unbelievable game by Hellebuyck," Hughes said. “He was our best player by a mile.”
It was only fitting the Americans needed to go through Canada, their northern neighbor that beat them at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago and has won every international competition over the past 16 years that featured the world's best players.
Not anymore.
Winning a fast-paced, riveting game that was full of big hits and plenty of post-whistle altercations, the U.S. got a goal from Matt Boldy 6 minutes in and led until Cale Makar tied it late in the second period. Hellebuyck and the penalty kill was a perfect 18 for 18 at the Olympics.
“I can’t even believe this,” Hughes said. “I mean it’s such an unbelievable game, USA-Canada. Such a good game. There’s so many great players. We’re a great team. That’s exactly how we wanted it to go. We’re underdogs to Canada, (but we) beat them. It could have gone either way.”
The U.S. finally came through after generations of churning out talent from the grassroots level like a production line. All but two of the 25 players on the team went through USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.
That group of 23 includes captain Auston Matthews, the top line of Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and Jack Eichel, and the second set of brothers, Jack and Quinn Hughes. Much of the team played together either at the program, under-18s, the world junior championship or some combination of them.
The U.S. winning silenced criticism of general manager Bill Guerin and his management group choosing a roster full of experienced veteran players to fill specific roles and leaving four of the top 10 American goal-scorers in the NHL this season at home. Some decisions were no-doubters, like coach Mike Sullivan giving the net to Hellebuyck, who was the best goalie in the tournament.
Canada, back-to-back Olympic champions in 2010 and ’14 and winners of three of the first five, fell short while playing without injured captain Sidney Crosby. The 38-year-old two-time gold medalist and three-time Stanley Cup champion left the quarterfinal game against Czechia and sat out the semifinal game against Finland.
McDavid, the widely considered best player in the world who wore the “C” in Crosby’s absence, suffered another devastating defeat on the doorstep of a title. He and the Edmonton Oilers have lost to Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final each of the past two years.
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
United States' Connor Hellebuyck (37) knocks the puck out of the air during the third period of a men's ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
United States' Connor Hellebuyck (37) stops a shot attempt by Canada's Macklin Celebrini (17) during the third period of a men's ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
United States goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck (37) uses his stick to block a shot by Canada's Devon Toews (7) during the third period of the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
United States' Jack Hughes (86) challenges with Canada's Jordan Binnington (50) during a men's ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
The United States celebrates after a sudden-death overtime goal by United States' Jack Hughes (86) against Canada during the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Canada's Sidney Crosby (87) is attended to after being injured during the second period of a men's ice hockey quarterfinal game between Canada and Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Canada head coach Jon Cooper talks with his players after their win against Finland in a men's ice hockey semifinal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Canada's Nathan MacKinnon, not seen, scores his side's third goal during a men's ice hockey semifinal game between Canada and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (Mike Segar/Pool Photo via AP)
United States' Jack Hughes (86) celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during a men's ice hockey semifinal game between United States and Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
