Irene Gu will have to wait a bit longer for her shot at Olympic gold.
The women’s freeski halfpipe event was initially set for Saturday afternoon but has been pushed to Sunday morning due to persistent snowstorms making conditions unsafe for competition.
The event is now slated for Sunday at 10:40 a.m.
Gu, an American-born freeskier who represents China, is the reigning Olympic halfpipe champion. She leads a field of 12 athletes that includes her American competitors, Kate Gray and Svea Irving.
Already, Gu has secured silver medals in slopestyle and big air events during the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games. The halfpipe is her final opportunity to claim the gold medal that she missed out on in this year’s Olympics.
Her main contender could be Zoe Atkin, who, like Gu, was born in the U.S., competes for another country, and is currently enrolled at Stanford University.
Atkin, representing Great Britain, brought home the gold in the freeski halfpipe at the 2025 World Championships.
Gu has emerged as one of the most recognized athletes at the Olympics, but she continues to attract attention for her choice to compete for China, her mother’s homeland.
When asked about feeling like a target in American political discussions, Gu acknowledged, “I do.”
“So many athletes are competing for different countries,” she explained to the press. “People often have an issue with me participating because they view China as a single entity, and there’s a lot of animosity. It doesn’t really affect me what they think.”
“And because I’ve found success,” Gu added, “I believe if I wasn’t performing well, folks probably wouldn’t care as much. That’s okay with me; everyone is entitled to their opinion.”
