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American-born Team China Olympic skier Eileen continues to center herself as the most polarizing subject of the Milan Cortina Winter Games.
An interaction Tuesday with a reporter went viral after Gu responded to a question about her winning two silver medals instead of gold so far this Olympics, suggesting the question came from a “ridiculous perspective.”
Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China poses for photos after the awarding ceremony of the freestyle skiing women’s freeski big air event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Wang Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)
“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself,” Gu said when asked if she saw her two medals as “silvers earned” or “golds lost.”
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“How do I say this? Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete. Doing it five times is exponentially harder because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else’s expectations rise, right?
“The two medals lost situation, to be quite frank with you, I think is kind of a ridiculous perspective to take. I’m showcasing my best skiing. I’m doing things that quite literally have never been done before. So, I think that is more than good enough, but thank you.”
Gu’s answer drew mixed reactions on social media after she had already been a target of immense global criticism for her decision to represent China over her home country, the U.S.
Gu has won two silver medals in freestyle skiing in Milan Cortina in the slopestyle and big air events. She has one final event, the halfpipe, remaining Saturday and has an opportunity to add to her total.
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Eileen Gu of China reacts after her first jump in the women’s freestyle skiing big air qualification during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park Feb. 14, 2026. (Joe Camporeale/Imagn Images)
Gu has been the subject of global criticism since her decision to represent China dating back to the original decision in 2019 and her first Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022. This year, that criticism has ramped up as she has won two silver medals and even responded to a question about President Donald Trump criticizing U.S. Olympian Hunter Hess for being critical of the current state of America.
“I’m sorry that the headline that is eclipsing the Olympics has to be something so unrelated to the spirit of the Games. It really runs contrary to everything the Olympics should be,” Gu told reporters Monday.
“The whole point of sport is to bring people together. … One of the very few common languages, that of the human body, that of the human spirit, the competitive spirit, the capacity to break not only records, but especially in our sport, literally the human limit. How wonderful is that?”
Gu also claimed she had been “caught in the crossfire” herself.
“As someone who has got caught in the crossfire before, I feel sorry for the athletes,” Gu said. “I hope that they can ski to their very best.”
Vice President JD Vance weighed in on the controversy surrounding Gu in an interview Tuesday on Fox News’ “The Story With Martha MacCallum.”
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Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China attends the awarding ceremony for the freestyle skiing women’s freeski big air event at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Hongxiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)
“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that makes this country a great place, I would hope they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance said.
“So, I’m going to root for American athletes. I think part of that is people who identify themselves as Americans. That’s who I’m rooting for in this Olympics.”
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