Eileen Gu rejects ‘ridiculous’ suggestion her silver medals were gold lost

Five-time Olympic medallist Eileen Gu has dismissed a “ridiculous” suggestion that her two silver medals at the Milan Cortina Games represent missed opportunities for gold.

The 22-year-old became the most decorated female freestyle skier in Olympic history this week after securing her fourth and fifth podium finishes.

However, during a press conference on Monday, the San Francisco-born athlete was asked if she viewed her recent second-place finishes as “silvers gained or two golds lost”.

Gu, who competes for China, laughed off the inquiry before firmly defending her record-breaking achievements on the slopes.

‘A life-changing experience’

The freestyle sensation claimed two golds and a silver at Beijing 2022 and has added two silvers to her collection in Italy so far.

Responding to the reporter, she emphasised the magnitude of her accomplishments.

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

She explained that maintaining such a high level of performance becomes increasingly difficult as external pressure mounts.

“Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete,” she continued.

“Doing it five times is exponentially harder because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else’s expectations rise, right?”

The Stanford University student has faced intense scrutiny throughout her career after choosing to represent her mother’s homeland rather than Team USA.

Despite the pressure, she remains the highest-paid Olympian at the Games, reportedly earning over $23m (£18m) in endorsements over the past year.

Record-breaking performance

Gu was unequivocal in her rejection of the negative framing regarding her latest results.

“The two medals lost situation, to be quite frank with you, I think is kind of a ridiculous perspective to take,” she added.

“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.”

The model and athlete has received widespread support on social media following the exchange, with fans praising her “poised” response.

In Milan, she has secured silver in both the Slopestyle and Big Air disciplines, finishing behind Canada’s Megan Oldham in the latter.

Her quest for further silverware continues in the women’s freeski halfpipe qualifiers on Thursday.