Lead: After qualifying for the women’s big air final on Saturday in Livigno, 22-year-old Eileen Gu said she was disappointed that International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) organizers would not adjust the Milan–Cortina 2026 schedule so she could receive the same amount of halfpipe training as other competitors. Gu, who won silver in slopestyle earlier in the week, is the only female freeskier entered in slopestyle, halfpipe and big air — a triple program that creates a direct timing clash between Monday’s big air final and the first of three scheduled three-hour halfpipe training sessions. She told reporters she sought compromise solutions but was told the schedule could not be changed for one athlete.
- Qualified: Gu secured a place in the big air final on Saturday, February 14, 2026, in Livigno, Italy.
- Triple entry: She is the only woman entered in all three freestyle skiing disciplines: slopestyle, halfpipe and big air.
- Training conflict: The big air final on Monday overlaps with the first of three three-hour halfpipe training sessions scheduled before halfpipe qualifying.
- Recent form: Gu won silver in slopestyle earlier in the week and last held big air competition practice in Beijing 2022, where she previously won gold.
- FIS schedule: FIS provided three training sessions before qualifying at these Games, versus two sessions typical in a World Cup; spokesman Bruno Sassi said organisers tried to facilitate training but conflicts can be inevitable.
- Track record: Of Gu’s 20 World Cup victories, 15 have come in halfpipe — the discipline she says requires distinct preparation.
- Olympic timetable: After Monday’s big air final, halfpipe qualifying is slated for Thursday with the halfpipe final on Saturday, making Gu a headliner late in the action-sports park program.
Background
Gu’s decision to contest all three freestyle disciplines is rare at the Olympic level because each event demands a specific training block and brings distinct physical risks. Her triple entry echoes past cross-discipline attempts — most notably Ester Ledecka’s choice in a previous Winter Games to prioritize snowboarding over a downhill skiing start several hours away, which forced difficult trade-offs. That example has become shorthand for the logistical challenge faced by athletes attempting multiple events at geographically and temporally compressed Games.
FIS, the sport’s international governing body, sets practice windows and official training sessions; at Milan–Cortina the federation scheduled three practice runs prior to halfpipe qualifying, an increment above the World Cup norm. Organizers say the aim is to balance fair access to practice with operational constraints including venue availability, broadcast windows and athlete safety. For competitors who enter multiple disciplines, those constraints can create unavoidable overlaps.
Main Event
On Saturday in Livigno, Gu fell on her second big air qualifying jump and converted the remaining attempt into a must-land effort to reach the final. She succeeded and advanced, adding immediate pressure because the big air final takes place the next competitive day. That timing reduces her margin for recovery and robs her of a full first halfpipe session, which coaches and athletes typically use to dial in amplitude and run timing.
Gu told reporters she contacted FIS and asked not for special treatment but for an accommodation that would allow her the same amount of halfpipe practice as other skiers. She said she even proposed training with snowboarders in the halfpipe as a compromise. According to Gu, FIS declined, saying changes for a single athlete would be unfair to others.
FIS spokesman Bruno Sassi said organisers had tried to provide the “best possible training” and noted that conflicts are sometimes inevitable when athletes enter multiple disciplines. He framed the decision as one of fairness and logistical feasibility rather than a judgment about any individual competitor’s program.
With halfpipe qualifying set for Thursday and the final on Saturday, Gu faces a compressed preparation window whether or not Monday’s first halfpipe session proceeds without her. That schedule will leave her preparing intensive technical work and recovery within a few days while also navigating media and sponsor obligations that typically accompany a high-profile athlete at the Games.
Analysis & Implications
Logistics at multi-sport Games necessarily balance many priorities: equitable practice access, broadcast schedules, venue turnover and athlete safety. When a leading athlete pursues multiple events, the trade-offs become visible to audiences and raise questions about whether federations should build more flexible buffers into timetables. From a systems perspective, accommodating a triple-discipline athlete without disadvantaging others would require either moving multiple sessions or adding more practice windows — both of which have downstream costs.
For Gu personally, limited halfpipe preparation increases short-term risk: the halfpipe is technically distinct and carries a higher margin for error than big air or slopestyle. Sports-science literature and coaching practice emphasize repetition and run volume in halfpipe to build confidence and muscle memory; reducing on-snow reps in the immediate lead-up can affect trick execution and safety. That said, Gu’s history — including 15 halfpipe World Cup wins and her 2022 Olympic gold — suggests experienced athletes can sometimes adapt under compressed preparation.
Politically, the dispute may prompt conversation among federations and the IOC about scheduling flexibility for crossover competitors. If more athletes follow Gu’s path and seek multiple medals across disciplines, organizers may face pressure to change scheduling methods or to create exceptions that preserve fairness while protecting athlete welfare. Any reforms would require buy-in across national federations, broadcasters and venue operators.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Halfpipe training sessions (Milan–Cortina) | 3 sessions before qualifying |
| Typical World Cup halfpipe sessions | 2 sessions |
| Gu World Cup wins | 20 total; 15 in halfpipe |
| Action-sports medal events in park | 25 events; Gu headlines the last of them |
The table shows that while organisers provided more practice runs than a typical World Cup, the sequencing created a collision for an athlete entered across three events. That collision is a scheduling problem (order and timing) rather than a simple quantity issue — more sessions help overall but cannot remove run-time overlaps between different event programs.
Reactions & Quotes
Gu expressed frustration directly after qualifying, framing the dispute as a philosophical issue about what the Olympics should reward: ambition and excellence or rigid parity in scheduling. Reporters on site noted she sought a compromise rather than preferential treatment.
“I’m disappointed in FIS. I think the Olympics should epitomize aspiration, and being able to do something beyond the ordinary should be celebrated instead of punished.”
Eileen Gu
Her words underline an athlete’s perspective that attempting more than one discipline ought to be encouraged. Team staff and coaches at the venue said the comment reflects a broader tension between individual ambition and the collective scheduling framework at large multi-event competitions.
FIS responded by emphasizing operational fairness and the practical limits of changing a schedule mid-Games. Officials described their approach as trying to balance athlete needs with the overall event plan.
“Every effort has been made to facilitate the best possible training… but conflicts can sometimes be inevitable for athletes who choose to compete in multiple disciplines and/or multiple events.”
Bruno Sassi, FIS spokesman
FIS framed the decision as a matter of fairness to the entire athlete field and the operational realities of running multiple venues and broadcast commitments. Observers at the Games noted that while the federation offered extra sessions relative to a World Cup, the sequencing still left no remedy for the immediate clash Gu faced.
Unconfirmed
- Whether FIS could have rearranged multiple sessions without disadvantaging other athletes remains unclear; no public timetable showing alternative windows was released.
- It is unconfirmed whether snowboarders’ halfpipe sessions were technically or contractually available for skiers to join, despite Gu saying she offered to train with them.
- The specific impact of missing the first halfpipe session on Gu’s medal prospects is uncertain and depends on her recovery, run execution and competitive field performance.
Bottom Line
Eileen Gu’s public complaint highlights a recurring tension at multi-discipline winter events: how to reconcile an athlete’s ambition to compete across programs with the practical limits of venue scheduling, broadcast slots and athlete safety. The situation is not a simple matter of favoritism; organisers face complex trade-offs when multiple events share space and time.
For Milan–Cortina, the immediate consequence is that Gu will prepare for halfpipe with a compressed timetable, increasing the stakes of each training minute and each run in competition. Longer term, this episode could prompt federations and the IOC to reassess scheduling buffers and contingency policies for crossover athletes if similar conflicts recur.
Sources
- New York Post — news report on athlete comments and onsite reporting.
- FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation) — governing body and official event scheduler (official).
- Milano Cortina 2026 — official Games information and event calendar (organizing committee).