Eileen Gu revealed that she was informed of her grandmother’s death just moments after clinching gold in the Winter Olympics halfpipe event.

The 22-year-old Olympian arrived late to her press conference following her victory in Livigno, having just learned about the passing of her beloved grandmother after securing a historic win. A clearly distressed Gu said: “The reason I was late is that I just found out that my grandma passed away. She was a really big part of my life growing up and someone I looked up to immensely.”

While the exact time of her grandmother’s death remains unclear, Chinese athlete Gu paid a heartfelt tribute during the press conference, stating: “She was so strong, she was a fighter, and I think what’s so interesting is that a lot of people just cruise through life, but she was a steamship. It comes after a reporter defended a tense interaction with Eileen Gu as the shock controversy went viral.

“This woman commanded life, and she grabbed it by the reins, and she made it into what she wanted it to be, and she inspired me so much. The last time I saw her before I came to the Olympics, she was very sick, so I knew that this was a possibility.

“I didn’t promise her that I was going to win, but I did promise her that I was going to be brave like she has been brave, and that’s why I keep referring to this theme of betting on myself and being brave and taking risks.

“It actually goes back to that promise that I made my grandma, and so I’m really happy that I was able to uphold that and hopefully do her proud, but it’s also a really difficult time for me now, so I really apologize for being late, but that’s what was going on.”

Gu clinched gold, cementing her status as the most decorated Olympic freestyle skier in history with six medals. Reflecting on her victory, she said: “I’m so proud of how I’ve done this Olympics. I chose to do three events, knowing that I had to train halfpipe in two months, knowing that I would miss the half-pipe training in case I made big air finals, which I also hadn’t competed in in four years.

“Being able to really trust myself that when it came down to the moment, that I would be able to perform to the best of my ability, regardless of medal color or medal in general — that’s a big bet. And also the difficulty of competing in three events, making finals in three events. I had to compete six times.

“I kind of liken it to a marathon, but the pace of a 100m dash. Because every day is the Olympics. I have to give 100 percent every day. So there’s no day that I can just chill a little, because every day matters.

“So I guess what I mean to say with that is I have done something that I took a big risk in trusting myself, and I’m glad that I did. I walk away as the most decorated free skier of all time, male or female, and the most gold medals of any free skier ever, male or female. And that is something that I’m so, so proud of. It’s unbelievable to me. It’s still surreal.”

Gu’s Olympic journey has been anything but straightforward, as the athlete faced significant criticism for her choice to compete for China despite being raised in the United States. Having spent her formative years in San Francisco and represented Team USA until she turned 15, she switched allegiance to her mother’s native country, prompting detractors to suggest that lucrative Chinese sponsorship deals were the true driver of her decision.

Gu has strongly rejected these claims, stating to TIME Magazine: “I’m glad that there’s enough money in the sport now for people to think that’s a consideration.”