Gold medal in hand and history made, yet Eileen Gu’s joy was cut short! Just after successfully defending her Olympic halfpipe title at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Gu flew through Livigno Snow Park with a run so perfect… it felt like she couldn’t stop. After all she had done it again with six Olympic medals! But the moment that should have been a pure celebration turned so heavy. Instead of hugs and cheers, she received some heartbreaking news.

That someone was her grandmother, Feng Guozhen, who spent much of Gu’s childhood in San Francisco guiding her, teaching her Chinese culture. Speaking at a press conference following her gold-medal performance, Gu apologized for arriving late and opened up about the difficult news.

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

Eileen Gu, who represents China, was primarily raised by her mother, Yan Gu, with her grandmother playing a deeply involved role. In fact, Gu’s middle name, Feng, is a tribute to her grandmother. But after she came to know this heartbreaking news,  Gu described her grandmother as a courageous presence who never took the easy path in life.

Eileen Gu revealed that her grandmother had been very sick when they last saw each other before the Olympics. Rather than promising her a medal, Gu made a different vow.

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“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,” she said.

That promise became the driving force behind her Olympic campaign…the courage to compete in three events, to take risks, and to bet on herself even with minimal halfpipe preparation. “And so I’m really happy that I was able to uphold that and hopefully do her proud,” she added, “but it’s also a really difficult time for me now.”

Even as she stood on the podium, history in the making, Eileen Gu carried both win and heartbreak in the same moment. It was clear how deeply Feng’s presence had influenced her…but how much of the person and athlete Eileen is today comes from her grandmother and mother.

The two women who made Eileen Gu believe she could fly

Eileen Gu didn’t become a champion by accident. Growing up in San Francisco, her world was shaped by two women: her mother, Yan Gu, and her grandmother, Feng Guozhen. Her father is American, but he has been largely absent. So, Gu was raised by her mother as a single parent.

Yan, who had been an investment professional and a ski instructor, instilled discipline, focus and resilience in Eileen. She made sure that Eileen could pursue her dreams and still have an education, travel and life. Whenever Eileen put on her skis or competed, she carried a little of her mother’s advice with her. But it was her grandmother who brought the heart.

Feng Guozhen spent hours with Eileen Gu, teaching her the Chinese language, introducing her to the culture and molding her confidence. She grounded Eileen with wisdom that kept her humble. Eileen has said that her grandmother would jokingly watch her ski and taunt her: “You’re just doing it for fun. You can go be a doctor or lawyer later.”

That experience gave Eileen the confidence to take more risks. Feng often appeared in her social media posts and short documentaries made for Chinese audiences. That same confidence eventually inspired Eileen to make one of the biggest decisions of her career: Representing China in 2019.

On Instagram, Eileen Gu called it an “incredibly tough decision,” writing, “I am proud of my heritage, and equally proud of my American upbringing. The opportunity to help inspire millions of young people where my mom was born…Through skiing, I hope to unite people, create understanding, and inspire young girls to break boundaries. 🇺🇸 🇨🇳 ❤️”

That sense of purpose and heart carried her all the way to the Olympic podium, where she now stands with history at her feet, a gold medal in hand, and the love of the two women who helped make her the athlete and the person she is today.