The question had just ended and Eileen Gu immediately began laughing.
Gu’s attempt to replicate her 2022 Olympics success — two golds and one silver — has fallen a bit short in Italy for the 2026 Games, with two silver medals, including in the Big Air competition she won four years ago.
When a reporter asked whether she viewed her showing as two silvers won or two gold medals lost, Gu, the American-born Team China star, could not believe the notion being presented.
“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history, I think that’s an answer in and of itself,” Gu said after a hearty chuckle. “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?
“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 so I think that is more than good enough, but thank you.”
Gu entered the 2026 Olympics with plenty of hype after winning gold in Big Air and Halfpipe in 2022, plus finishing second in Slopestyle.
She also has attracted attention for her decision to compete for China rather than the U.S., plus the $23 million she has made from endorsements, which makes her among the highest-paid female athletes in the world.
Gu, 22, has modeled for Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton, and also has endorsement deals with Porsche and Red Bull, among others, according to Forbes.
Her 2026 Olympics began with another silver in the Slopestyle, but the true disappointment came in the Big Air when she could not defend her crown, instead finishing behind Canada’s Megan Oldham.
2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
Even in defeat, though, Gu made history since she now has five Olympic medals.
“‘Five-time Olympic medalist’ kind of has a nice ring to it,” Gu said, per ESPN.
Gu has a chance to add one more medal to her resume since she also competes in the Halfpipe event, with qualifying runs set for Thursday and the finals heats this Saturday.
She previously criticized tournament organizers for how they set up training sessions while she juggles training for all three events.
“I think the Olympics should epitomize aspiration, and I think being able to do something that’s beyond the ordinary should be celebrated instead of punished,” she told reporters last weekend.
Competing in three events is a source of pride for the Stanford product.
“I’m proud to be the only freestyle skier competing in three events,” she told reporters. “I’m here to give my best. We’ll see what happens.”