Eileen Gu is 22 years old, competing in her second Olympic Games, so often at the center of a storm. Advertisement“My biggest goal has always been to bring the sport to more young people, especially girls,” Gu said last week. A throng of fans greets Gu after Monday’s big air final. Astonishingly, she hadn’t competed in big air once since winning gold in the event four years ago. After 18-year-old Italian Flora Tabanelli won bronze on her home soil in her Olympic debut Monday night, Gu hugged her.

Source: International New York Times February 17, 2026 13:57 UTC