China’s Gu Ailing revealed that she had just learned of her grandmother’s passing moments after defending her Olympic halfpipe title at the 2026 Winter Olympics, cementing her place as the most decorated freeskier in history. Speaking at a press conference following her gold-medal performance, Gu apologized for arriving late and explained what had happened behind the scenes. “The reason I was late is that I just found out that my grandma passed away,” she said. “She was a really big part of my life growing up and someone I looked up to immensely.” #GuAiling #EileenGu #WinterOlympics #MilanCortina2026 #Halfpipe #Freeski #wintervibes