Chinese-American Olympian Trashes Reporter’s ‘Ridiculous’ Question About Medals: ‘I’m the Most Decorated Female Free Skier in History!’

Screenshot

Chinese-American skier Eileen Gu called a reporter’s question “ridiculous” in response to the suggestion that winning silver medals was a disappointing result.

Gu, a freestyle skier competing for the Chinese team, has won two silver medals at the Winter Olympics in Milan at the time of writing. Those medals brought her career tally up to five, making her the most decorated female freestyle skier in Olympic history. Gu made her Olympic debut in Beijing in 2022, where she won two golds and a silver.

During a recent press conference, a reporter asked if she Gu felt like she “won” two silver medals or “lost” two gold medals. The 22-year-old immediately laughed the question off before expressing gratitude for even winning a medal in the Olympics, saying:

I’m the most decorated female free skier in history! 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 because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else’s expectations rise, right? And so, the “two medals lost” situation, to be quite frank with you, I think it’s 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.

Gu, who was born and raised in San Francisco, has recently become the target of some outrage due to her decision to represent China in international competition. She first made the decision in 2019, explaining that she wanted to help grow the sport in the county from which her mother hails.

That decision seems to have paid off thus far, with her growth in the Chinese market allowing her to become one of the highest paid female athletes in the world. According to a recent report from The Athletic, Gu earns more than $23 million a year.

Vice President JD Vance was recently asked if Gu’s legal status in the U.S. should be changed as a result of her decision, but he declined to entertain the idea.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!