Olympics Reacts to What Eileen Gu Said After Winter Games Development

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 7:09 PM ET

Eileen Gu made history in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics after winning silver in the big air final on Monday. The Chinese alpine skier won a silver medal after finishing second behind Canada’s Megan Oldham.

This was Gu’s second silver medal in this year’s Winter Games. The 22-year-old also won second place in the slopestyle final earlier in the Olympics.

Now with five medals under her belt, Gu has become the most decorated female freestyle skier in Olympic history. Her two silvers in 2026 are the latest additions to her collection. Gu also won three medals — two golds and a silver — in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Ailing Eileen Gu of the People's Republic of China after the women's freestyle skiing slopestyle final during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.© Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Despite her unparalleled success, Gu has still faced criticism from the media. A case in point is how a reporter asked her how she feels about losing two gold medals in this year’s games.

Gu laughed off the question before giving a pointed response.

“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history,” Gu stated. “I think that’s an answer in and of itself.

“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? And so the two medals lost situation, to be quite frank with you, I think it’s kind of a ridiculous perspective to take.”

The Olympics caught wind of Gu’s now-viral development during the Winter Games. Her unexpected exchange with a reporter drew a strong reaction from the Olympics.

“We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! ⛷️

“FIVE-TIME Olympic medalist Eileen Gu continues to break ceilings as she becomes the most decorated female freestyle skier in Olympic history, following two silver medals at #MilanoCortina2026! ”

View this post on Instagram

The Olympics has clearly taken no issue with Gu's response to the loaded question. In fact, it has shown its support to the American-born skiing star.

The run is not over for Gu. She has one more event left: the halfpipe, her preferred discipline. If Gu goes through the qualifying round on Thursday, she will be aiming to secure her sixth Olympic medal in the halfpipe final on Saturday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: