Eileen Gu Survives Scare, Qualifies for Slopestyle Final

The 22-year-old Chinese-American skier rebounded after a fall in her first qualifying run.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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Eileen Gu, the 22-year-old Chinese-American freestyle skier, qualified for the Olympic slopestyle final at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan after a strong second run. Gu, who was born in San Francisco but represents China, fell early in her first qualifying run but earned a score of 75.30 in her second run to place within the top 12 skiers advancing to the final. Gu was a silver medalist in slopestyle at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and also won two gold medals in big air and halfpipe.

Why it matters

Gu is one of the biggest stars of the Winter Olympics, having won three medals, including two golds, at the 2022 Beijing Games. Her ability to rebound from a shaky first run and qualify for the slopestyle final demonstrates her resilience and skill as an elite freestyle skier.

The details

In her first qualifying run on Saturday, Gu fell early but was able to recover and post a strong second run, earning a score of 75.30 to place within the top 12 skiers advancing to Monday's slopestyle final. Gu, who was a silver medalist in slopestyle in 2022, has taken part in just four World Cup slopestyle events since the Beijing Olympics, making the podium in three of them. The reigning world champion in slopestyle, Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud, also qualified for the final after posting a Saturday best score of 79.15 in her second run.

  • Gu fell early in her first qualifying run on Saturday.
  • Gu earned a score of 75.30 in her second qualifying run on Saturday to advance to the final.

The players

Eileen Gu

A 22-year-old freestyle skier who was born in San Francisco but represents China. She won two gold medals and one silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Mathilde Gremaud

The reigning world champion in slopestyle skiing. She has finished in first or second place in eight of nine World Cup events she has taken part in since November 2023.

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What’s next

The slopestyle final is scheduled for Monday, February 10th.

The takeaway

Eileen Gu's ability to rebound from a shaky first qualifying run and secure a spot in the slopestyle final demonstrates her resilience and skill as an elite freestyle skier. Her performance will be one of the must-watch events of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.