Eileen Gu put a bow on her 2026 Winter Olympics.
Eileen Gu has faced significant backlash during the 2026 Winter Olympics. There is no shortage of Americans who do not like that she flies the Chinese flag instead of the flag of the country where she was born and raised.
Gu is confident in her talent as a freestyle skier — and she’s wearing all of her Olympic medals with pride. The freestyle skier is the most decorated female freestyle skier in Olympic history.
At a press conference after her second-place finish in freeski slopestyle, she faced an uncomfortable moment with a journalist. The reporter asked whether she viewed her 2026 finishes as “two silvers gained or two golds lost.”
“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself,” said Eileen Gu.
“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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Social Media Praised Eileen Gu For Her Answer
Five-time Olympic medalist Eileen Gu has gone viral for her impressive response to a reporter asking if she “lost” two gold medals by finishing second. The 22-year-old became the most decorated women’s freestyle skiing Olympian in history this week with her fourth and fifth medals at the Milan Cortina Games.
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Social media loved her answer:
“I love how she mansplained winning an Olympic medal to the interviewer,” one person said.
“She managed it perfectly with grace ❤️,” a second fan responded.
“Winning. A medal. At the Olympics.” 😮💨😮💨 I love her!!” a third fan said of Eileen Gu.
“Probably the best answer to the worst question,” a fourth fan commented.
Gu might be the most decorated, but she is certainly not celebrated in the United States. She grew up in California, went to Stanford University, and trained in Lake Tahoe. Many people thought she would become one of the top faces of American skiing. Instead, she decided to represent China, which started at the Beijing Olympics.
Vice President JD Vance suggested San Francisco-born skier Eileen Gu should be competing for the U.S.
“I certainly think that somebody who grew up in the United States of America, who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I would hope that they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance said.
Former NBA player and human rights activist Enes Kanter Freedom accused Gu of betraying America by competing for China. “I’m just going to say it … she’s a traitor,” Freedom said on Fox News’ “Ingraham Angle,” per The NY Post.
As for why she chose China, she said it was a difficult decision and explained that she wanted to inspire young athletes in her mother’s home country.
