Milan (Italy) (AFP) – Eileen Gu pulled out all the stops on Sunday to win the gold medal that had eluded her at the Winter Olympics. The USA beat Canada in the high-stakes final of the men’s ice hockey. US-born Chinese freestyle skier Gu had already won two silver medals at these Milan-Cortina Games, but her favoured halfpipe event always looked the likeliest to deliver the third gold of her career.
She had been forced to wait when the event was postponed on Saturday due to heavy snow high in Livigno, in the Italian Alps. On Sunday, in blazing sunshine, Gu delivered with panache, posting a best score of 94.75 to dazzle the judges, soaring high above the lip of the halfpipe and executing her tricks with precision. She edged out her China teammate Li Fanghui, who scored 93.00, while Britain’s Zoe Atkin took bronze. In doing so, she became the most decorated freestyle skier—man or woman—in the history of the Winter Games.
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As in her previous competitions, Gu was forced to deal with self-inflicted pressure. The defending champion flunked her first run, as world champion Atkin set the pace. However, Gu, who now has three Olympic golds and three silvers in total, went into the lead with her second run and improved it in the second round to the delight of a sizeable group of Chinese fans.
“Every day I was fighting,” said Gu. “I gave my all every single day that I’ve been here, and that’s no joke. In all three events, I showcased my best skiing, and as far as performance goes, that’s all I can ask for—to be able to show the world the best that women’s skiing has to offer at the moment, that it really counts. I’m the most decorated freeskier of all time, male or female,” Gu added. “That’s a testament to competitive strength; it’s mental strength. It’s being able to perform under pressure. It has nothing to do with if you’re a boy or a girl.”
– USA claim overtime thriller –
The men’s ice hockey tournament produced the final that neutrals wanted, and Jack Hughes scored the winning goal in overtime to hand the US men their first Olympic triumph since the 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’ win over the Soviet Union in Lake Placid. It deprived Canada of a record 10th Olympic title and the first since the 2014 Sochi Games. Matt Boldy gave the Americans a 1-0 lead in the first period before Cale Makar equalised for the Canadians. Once the game went into the three-on-three overtime, Hughes applied the golden touch to send his teammates and the US supporters into raptures.
With US President Donald Trump ratcheting up the tensions with his North American neighbour over the past year, the game had an added edge. “Congratulations to our great U.S.A. Ice Hockey team. THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW!” Trump said on Truth Social, adding: “WHAT A GAME!”
After the thrills and spills of the ice hockey, the final medal event of the Games, the closing ceremony will take place in the elegant surroundings of Verona. Norway finished atop the medals table with 18 golds and 41 medals overall. The USA is second with 12 golds, and the Netherlands is third with 10.
© 2024 AFP
