Eileen Gu learns heartbreaking news just moments after winning Winter Olympics gold
Winter Olympics star Eileen Gu has revealed she learned of the loss of a family member just moments after winning gold.
The 22-year-old was born in San Francisco, California and was therefore eligible to compete for the USA. However, she made the decision to represent China, whom she qualifies for due to her mother's family side.
Gu is the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympics history and won gold medals in big air and halfpipe, and a silver medal in slopestyle in the home Olympics of Beijing, China in 2022.
This time around, in Milan-Cortina, she doubled her medal tally with another gold and two silvers.
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Gu took silvers in both big air and slopestyle, as well as bagging a second gold in halfpipe.
She has been one of the top stars of the Games, having gone into the event knowing that her grandmother, Feng Guozhen, was ill.
Gu was told that her maternal grandmother had passed minutes after winning gold.
"The reason I was late is that I just found out that my grandma passed away," she explained, as per the Daily Mail.
"She was a really big part of my life growing up and someone I looked up to immensely."
Gu has 'Feng' as her middle name in tribute to her grandma and hopes she made her proud with her incredible sporting achievements.
Gu added: "She was so strong, she was a fighter and I think what's so interesting is that a lot of people just cruise through life but she was a steamship.
"This woman commanded life and she grabbed it by the reins and she made it into what she wanted it to be and she inspired me so much. 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 promise her that I was going to win but I did promise her that I was going to be brave like she has been brave and that's why I keep referring to this theme of betting on myself and being brave and taking risks.
"It actually goes back to that promise that I made my grandma and so I'm really happy that I was able to uphold that and hopefully do her proud but it's also a really difficult time for me now so I really apologise for being late but that's what was going on."
Topics: Olympics
Josh Lawless