This US-Born Skier Competing For China Had The Perfect Clapback When Asked If Winning Silver Was A Loss
“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself.”
After making history as the most decorated woman free skier at the Winter Olympics, Eileen Gu, the US-born skier competing for China, gave a mic drop response to a reporter asking if winning a silver medal was a loss.
22-year-old Gu won three medals, two golds and one silver, at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and an additional two silver medals so far during the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.
At a press conference after her silver medal in freeski slopestyle on Feb. 16, a reporter asked Gu if she saw the two silvers as “two golds lost”, to which Gu laughed and clapped back in style.
“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself,” Gu said. “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?
She told the reporter the two medals lost situation, "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 said.
Gu has been a bonafide global superstar since her wins in 2022.
She is the fourth-highest-paid woman athlete, commanding endorsement deals upwards of US$20 million, all while juggling ski and schoolwork at Stanford University.
Gu has faced significant controversy over her citizenship and nationality, particularly after her decision to switch teams to compete for China — which does not allow for dual nationality — with some critics calling the move opportunistic.
Initially competing for Team USA, Gu announced in 2019 on Instagram her decision to represent China ahead of the Games as a way “to help inspire millions of young people where her mom was born” and “to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations.”
She has declined to comment on her citizenship, saying, “Nobody can deny I’m American, nobody can deny I’m Chinese” and “When I’m in the U.S., I’m American, but when I’m in China, I’m Chinese.”
“So many athletes compete for a different country,” she said. “People only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. And also, because I win. Like if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions.”
Gu is next set to compete in the women’s ski halfpipe, which was rescheduled due to bad weather to Sunday, Feb. 22.
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Steph Lu
Steph Lu
Steph Lu
