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American-born Olympic skier for the Chinese team, Eileen, continues to be the most polarizing topic of the Milan Cortina Winter Games.
An interaction Tuesday with a journalist went viral after Gu responded to a question about winning two silver medals instead of gold so far in these Olympics, suggesting the question came from a “ridiculous perspective.”
Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China poses for photos after the award ceremony of the women’s freestyle big air freestyle skiing 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 free skier in history. I think that’s an answer in itself,” Gu said when asked if she saw her two medals as “silver won” or “gold 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 each medal is equally difficult for me, but everyone else’s expectations are raised, right?”
“The two lost medals situation, to be honest, I think is a ridiculous prospect. I’m showing my best skiing. I’m doing things that have literally never been done before. So I think that’s more than enough, but thank you.”
Gu’s response sparked mixed reactions on social media after he had already been the target of immense global criticism for his decision to represent China instead of his home country, the United States.
Gu has won two silver medals in freestyle skiing in Milan Cortina in the Slopestyle and Big Air events. He has one last event left, the halfpipe, on Saturday and he has a chance to increase his total.
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Eileen Gu of China reacts after her first jump in the women’s freestyle skiing qualification during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park on February 14, 2026. (Joe Camporeale/Image 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 increased, as she has won two silver medals and even responded to a question about President Donald Trump’s criticism of American Olympian Hunter Hess for being critical of the current state of the United States.
“I regret that the headline that is overshadowing the Olympics has to be something so foreign to the spirit of the Games. It really goes against everything the Olympics should be about,” Gu told reporters on Monday.
“The goal of sport is to bring people together… One of the few common languages, that of the human body, that of the human spirit, the competitive spirit, the ability to break not only records, but especially in our sport, literally the human limit. How wonderful is that?”
Gu also claimed that she herself had been “caught in the crossfire.”
“As someone who has been caught in the crossfire before, I am sorry for the athletes“Gu said. “I hope they can ski as well as possible.”
vice president J.D. Vance weighed in on the controversy surrounding Gu in an interview Tuesday on Pak Gazette’ “The Story With Martha MacCallum.”
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Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China attends the award ceremony of the women’s freestyle big air freestyle skiing 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 and benefited from our educational system, from the freedoms that make this country a great place, I would hope that they would 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 as Americans. “That’s what I support in these Olympic Games.”
