American-born Chinese freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu has delivered a powerful response to an Olympic reporter who questioned whether her two silver medals at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games should be viewed as "two golds lost." The 22-year-old athlete, who has become the most decorated women's freestyle skier in Olympic history, immediately laughed off the inquiry before offering a thoughtful rebuttal that has since gone viral across social media platforms.
Historic Achievement Overshadowed by Questionable Inquiry
During a press conference on Monday, following her fourth and fifth Olympic medal wins, a journalist posed the controversial question: "Do you consider your two silver medal wins so far at these Winter Olympics as two silvers gained or two golds lost?" Gu, who previously won two gold medals and one silver at the 2022 Beijing Games, responded with characteristic poise and confidence that has defined her public persona throughout her remarkable career.
"I'm the Most Decorated Female Freeskier in History"
"I'm the most decorated female freeskier in history, I think that's an answer in and of itself," Gu stated firmly after initially chuckling at the question's premise. She elaborated further, explaining the immense difficulty of achieving Olympic success multiple times while managing escalating public expectations. "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 Stanford student and successful model didn't mince words when addressing the underlying assumption of the reporter's query. "The two medals lost situation, to be quite frank with you, I think is kind of a ridiculous perspective to take," she declared. "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."
Public Reaction and Viral Response
Following the press conference, fans and observers flooded social media with praise for Gu's measured yet firm response. The video clip quickly accumulated millions of views on X alone, with many commentators applauding her maturity and grace under pressure. One social media user wrote, "Great response to a ridiculous question. Eileen is poised and mature beyond her age," while another added, "Totally love it, What a glorious and gracious clapback to this dude."
A third supporter noted, "I became a huge fan of her. The way she conducts herself and has always well measured answers is great. I hope she becomes a role model for her generation." This widespread positive reaction highlights how Gu's response resonated with audiences who appreciated her focus on achievement rather than perceived shortcomings.
Background and Career Context
Gu's Olympic journey has been marked by both extraordinary athletic success and ongoing controversy regarding her decision to compete for China rather than the United States, where she was born and raised in San Francisco, California. In 2019, the champion announced she would represent China—her mother's home country—with the stated goal of making freestyle skiing more mainstream there.
Entering the 2026 Olympics with two gold medals from the 2022 Beijing Games (Big Air and Halfpipe) plus a silver in Slopestyle, Gu has now added two more silver medals to her collection. She secured silver in Slopestyle again before finishing behind Canada's Megan Oldham in the Big Air competition. According to Forbes, Gu is currently the highest-paid Olympian at this year's games, having earned over $23 million in endorsements during the past year.
Looking ahead, Gu's next event is the women's freeski halfpipe qualifiers scheduled for Thursday afternoon. When speaking with reporters on Saturday, she expressed pride in her unique position, stating, "I'm proud to be the only freestyle skier competing in three events. I'm here to give my best. We'll see what happens." Her response to the controversial question reflects this same commitment to excellence and perspective on achievement that transcends simplistic medal counts.
