Freestyle skier Eileen Gu is a five-time Olympic medalist, making her the most decorated athlete at her sport in the history of the games. That means she doesn’t have time for reporters to belittle her accomplishments.
After earning a silver medal in the women’s freeski slopestyle on Monday, February 16, she met with the media, where one reporter asked if she saw her pair of second-place finishes as “two silvers gained or two golds lost.” Gu also won silver in the women’s big air at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Gu, 22, let out a hearty laugh in response.
“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself,” she said, her amusement from the question apparent in her voice. “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.”
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She continued, “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 and so I think that is more than good enough, but thank you.”
Gu was previously the source of controversy at the 2026 Winter Olympics after choosing to compete for China despite being born and raised in the United States. She also skied for China in the 2022 Beijing Games.
This time around, Gu said she has been “physically assaulted” on the street for not representing the United States.
“The police were called. I’ve had death threats. I’ve had my dorm robbed,” Gu told The Athletic in a story published Tuesday, February 17. “I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever.”
She added,“Sometimes I feel like I’m carrying the weight of two countries on my shoulders.”
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The decision has sparked backlash from Vice President JD Vance, who said during a Tuesday appearance on Fox News’ The Story With Martha MacCallum that he will root for “people who identify themselves as Americans.”
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom took it even further, calling Gu a “traitor.”
“She was born in America, raised in America, lives in America, and chose to compete against her own country for the worst human rights abuser on the planet, China,” he wrote via X earlier this month. “She built her fame in a free country, then chose to represent an authoritarian regime while cashing in on endorsements linked by watchdog groups to mass detention and forced labor camps. When human rights come up, she disappears.”
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Despite the backlash, Gu has embraced the opportunity to compete on her sport’s biggest stage.
“I’m here because I want to be, not just because it’s the default option for me,” she told the media on Monday. “I’ve said if I wanted to retire and feel good about myself for the rest of my life I could, but I don’t because I love this sport now more than ever. The feeling of pushing past who I was yesterday and becoming a little bit better tomorrow is something that is truly addictive and something that I’m so in love with. I think last Olympics was an opportunity and this Olympics is a privilege.”
Gu still has a chance to earn a sixth Olympic medal on Thursday, February 19, when she competes in the freeski halfpipe at the Milano Cortina games.
