Freestyle skiing champion Eileen Gu broke down in her Winter Olympics press conference just moments after winning her gold medal

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Gold medalist Ailing Eileen Gu broke down in a press conference at the Winter Olympics

Chinese star Eileen Gu has revealed she received the devastating news of her grandmother’s passing just moments after claiming gold in the Winter Olympics halfpipe event. The 22-year-old arrived late to her press conference following her victory in Livigno, having just been informed of her beloved grandmother’s death.

A visibly emotional Gu said: “The reason I was late is that I just found out that my grandma passed away. She was a really big part of my life growing up and someone I looked up to immensely.”

Whilst the exact timing of her grandmother’s passing remains unclear, Gu paid a heartfelt tribute during the press conference, saying: “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.

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“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.”

Gu claimed gold to cement her status as the most decorated Olympic freestyle skier of all time with six medals. Following her victory, she said: “I’m so proud of how I’ve done this Olympics. I chose to do three events knowing that I had to train halfpipe in two months, knowing that I would miss the half-pipe training in case I made big air finals, which I also hadn’t competed in in four years.

“Being able to really trust myself that when it came down to the moment, that I would be able to perform to the best of my ability regardless of medal colour or medal in general – that’s a big bet. And also the difficulty of competing in three events, making finals in three events. I had to compete six times.

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Eileen Gu (middle) won gold in the women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe final(Image: AP)

“I kind of liken it to a marathon, but the pace of a 100m dash. Because every day is the Olympics. I have to give 100 per cent every day. So there’s no day that I can just chill a little, because every day matters.

“So I guess what I mean to say with that is I have done something that I took a big risk in trusting myself, and I’m glad that I did. I walk away as the most decorated free skier of all time, male or female, and the most gold medals of any free skier ever, male or female. And that is something that I’m so, so proud of. It’s unbelievable to me. It’s still surreal.”

Gu’s journey at the Winter Olympics has been anything but straightforward, with the athlete facing fierce criticism over her choice to compete for China, despite being born and raised in the United States. Having grown up in San Francisco and represented Team USA until the age of 15, she switched allegiance to her mother’s country of birth, with some fans suggesting that lucrative Chinese sponsorship deals were the true driving force behind the move.

Gu has robustly rejected these claims, telling TIME Magazine : “I’m glad that there’s enough money in the sport now for people to think that’s a consideration.”