Already comfortably in first place, she outperformed herself in the second run with a score of 95.25. By the time she began her third run victory lap, she had already secured gold.
Gu hugged her coach at the top of the slope before returning down the halfpipe and finishing the ride with easy jumps, posing and celebrating her victory in midair.
“I’d never taken a victory lap in my life, so I said to myself, ‘You know what, last event at the Olympics seems like I finally deserve it.’ I’m overjoyed, “According to the Olympic website, Gu told reporters following her victory.
“It has been two straight weeks of the most intense highs and lows I’ve ever experienced in my life. It has changed my life forever,” she said.
Gu expressed a “deep-seated sense of appreciation and resolution” as she reflected on her first and historic Olympic Games.
“Just like this all coming together after years and years of work, it’s like taking a deep breath. I’m exhausted. I mean, I’ve been skiing every single day since the opening ceremony till now, so I’m exhausted, but I’m at peace. I’m grateful. I’m filled with zeal and pride “She stated.
Cassie Sharpe of Canada took silver with a top score of 90.75, while Rachael Karker of Canada took bronze. Gu embraced both of them as they posed for photos after the ceremony.
Cassie Sharpe of Canada took silver with a top score of 90.75, while Rachael Karker of Canada took bronze. Gu embraced both of them as they posed for photos after the ceremony.
She also wore a panda hat while receiving her Bing Dwen Dwen replica mascot on the podium, which caused a stir among her Chinese social media followers
A breakout star
The Beijing 2022 Olympics have been a breakthrough moment for Gu as she became one of the biggest stars of the Games.
Born and raised in California, Gu chose in 2019 to compete for China, where she is known as Gu Ailing. In the lead-up to the Games, her popularity skyrocketed, with her face splashed across billboards, commercials, magazine covers and on state television.
And since the Games got underway, she has become a national sensation, earning more than 5 million fans on social media site Weibo.
She was dubbed the “Pride of China” after winning her maiden gold medal, and she has since won more medals for Team China at these Games than anybody else. Following her final victory in the halfpipe, China now has the same number of gold medals as the United States (albeit China’s total medal count falls behind the US).
Gu, on the other hand, has downplayed the sport’s national rivalry.
“It’s not about nationality, it’s about bringing people together. It’s about sharing culture. It’s about learning from each other and forging friendships.”
Though Gu switched to compete for China, it’s unclear whether she renounced her American citizenship — usually a requirement for Chinese naturalization, since the country does not allow dual citizenship. She has repeatedly dodged questions about her citizenship while highlighting her dual identity, often saying: “When I’m in China, I’m Chinese. When I’m in the US, I’m American.”
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