Beijing 2022: Eileen Gu strengthens Winter Games gold claims with half-pipe victory in Dew Tour, second in slopestyle
- The China freestyle skier, who was born in San Francisco, is going after three gold medals at the Winter Olympics – big air, slopestyle and half-pipe
- The 18-year-old had impressive runs in the half-pipe, holding off Estonia’s Kelly Sildaru and US star Hanna Faulhaber
Eileen Gu won the half-pipe event and finished second in slopestyle at the Dew Tour to make clear she’s the freestyle skier to beat at the Winter Games in Beijing.
Gu, who was born in San Francisco but will compete for her mother’s home country of China in less than two months, will try to win three gold medals in Beijing. She will be among the favourites in big air, slopestyle and half-pipe.
The 18-year-old kicked off her big day in Copper Mountain, Colorado by winning the half-pipe with two impressive runs filled with plenty of height and technically difficult spins. Both of her scores on the first and second runs would have won the event. It made her third and final attempt nothing more than a victory stroll through the pipe.
She held off Estonia’s Kelly Sildaru, who figures to be one of Gu’s biggest challengers in Beijing. Hanna Faulhaber, who is from Colorado, took third to earn a valuable podium spot in her bid to make the US Olympic team.
“Today was all about having fun, pushing myself, pushing the sport,” Gu said in an interview after her half-pipe win. “Being just the tiniest part of that is always my biggest goal.”