It took actress Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng two decades to team up on a movie project with the person who helped kick-start her Hollywood career - director John Woo Yu-sum.
'We've known each other for ages. When I first went to the US, it was Woo and producer Terence Chang Chia-chen who brought me over,' she said. 'From then on, they've helped me deal with jobs in the US. I have to thank them for introducing me to so many friends and seeking opportunities for me.'
Yeoh (below, with Woo) finally got the chance to collaborate with Woo on the new wuxia film, Reign of Assassins. Produced by Woo and directed by Su Chao-pin, it is the story of an assassin (Yeoh) on a mission to return the remains of a monk to his final resting place.
Eileen Gu pays emotional tribute to grandmother after gold win, hopes she made her proud
Eileen Gu becomes greatest freeskier in Winter Olympics history after winning sixth medal, while teammate Li Fanghui claims silver
China’s Eileen Gu became the most decorated freestyle skier in the history of the Winter Olympics after winning halfpipe gold on Sunday, then learned moments later that her grandmother had died.
The 22-year-old Gu added a sixth medal to her already impressive collection, successfully defending a title she won as part of her triple haul at the Beijing Games four years ago.
No other freeskier, man or woman, has won as many as Gu, who is the only woman to have competed in all the park and pipe events at the Olympics. Gold on Sunday in an event delayed 24 hours by heavy snow in Livigno followed silver medals in big air and slopestyle.
Teammate Li Fanghui took silver just ahead of Britain’s Zoe Atkin, who claimed bronze. Atkin followed in the footsteps of her sister Izzy, who came third in slopestyle at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Speaking to the press after another emotionally charged day, Gu said she had last spoken to her elderly relative before the Olympics, and had known she might not get the chance again.
News of her death had come minutes after the medal ceremony, Gu said.
“She was a really big part of my life growing up, and someone I looked up to immensely. She was a fighter,” Gu said. “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.
“I didn’t promise her that I was going to win, but I did promise her that I was going to be brave,” Gu said. “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.”
There was certainly bravery in Gu’s performance, with the Chinese star again putting herself in danger of not winning anything after a first run that scored just 30 points and left her well down the field.
But she bounced back to produce a dazzling performance in the second round to wow the judges. Gu punched the air, cheered by a sizeable group of Chinese fans who stood behind a row of flags, and was awarded 94.00.
Li posted a sensational 91.50 with her second go, while top qualifier Atkin’s 90.50 left her third before the final run.
Gu, who qualified eighth, increased her advantage with her last time down the course, upping her score to 94.75, and then faced a nervous wait as Li and Atkin had their shot at winning gold.
Li’s 93.00 left her just short of her compatriot, while Atkin came agonisingly close too, earning 92.50 points with her final go.
“Every day I was fighting,” Gu said. “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.”
Gu’s triumph means she has now won three gold and three silver over the course of the past two Games, in Beijing four years ago, where she won gold in halfpipe and big air, and silver in slopestyle, and in Italy this time around, where there was silver in the latter two.
It also moves her one medal ahead of compatriot Xu Mengtao, who has five in women’s aerials, and Canadian Mikael Kingsbury, as the sport’s most decorated Olympian.
“The reason I love the records so much is that it’s not about man or woman,” she said. “I’m the most decorated freeskier of all time, male or female. I have the most gold medals ever, male or female. 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.
“Being able to lead the way and pioneer the sport is something I never imagined I’d be able to do, but I’m really honoured and proud that I have.”
The gold was China’s fifth of the Games and took the country’s overall medal tally to 15, with its athletes also picking up four silver and six bronze.
