After defending her title in the women’s halfpipe at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Eileen Gu made it clear that she feels that Olympic success has nothing to do with being a man or a woman.
“I’m the most decorated freeskier of all time, male or female,” Gu, 22, said on Sunday, February 22. “I have the most gold medals ever, male or female. That’s a testament to competitive strength, it’s mental strength. It’s being able to perform under pressure, it has nothing to [do with] if you’re a boy or a girl.”
After earning the gold medal in her final event of the Games in Italy, the Olympian said she “showcased my best skiing” in all three of her events.
“As far as performance goes, that’s all I can ask for — to be able to show the world the best that women’s skiing has to offer at the moment that it really counts,” Gu said.
Her teammate, Li Fanghui, won silver in the event, while Zoe Atkin of Great Britain took the bronze.
Gu was born and raised in San Francisco, California, but chose to compete for China — where her mother, Yan Gu, is from — prompting criticism from United States Vice President J.D. Vance.
“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 they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance told Fox News on Tuesday, February 17. “So, I’m going to root for American athletes, and I think part of that is people who identify themselves as Americans. That’s who I’m rooting for this Olympics.”
Gu was quick to respond to Vance’s comments.
“I’m flattered. Thanks, JD! That’s sweet,” Gu told USA Today on Thursday, February 19. She added that she feels “like a bit of a punching bag for a certain strand of American politics at the moment.”
She continued, “So many athletes compete for a different country… people only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So it’s not really about what they think it’s about.”
“And also, because I win,” Gu added. “Like if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me.”
Gu has been competing for China since the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. She speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and spent many of her summers in Beijing.
In addition to her gold medal on Sunday, Gu won two silver medals: one for the women’s big air and another for the women’s freeski slopestyle.
During a press conference after her second silver medal, a reporter asked her if she saw her pair of second-place finishes as “two silver medals gained or two golds lost.”
“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history,” Gu quipped, after letting out a big laugh. “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.”
She continued, “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 and so I think that is more than good enough, but thank you.”
