Chinese-American freestyle skier Eileen Gu laughed at a reporter’s question Monday when asked if winning silver medals was disappointing, calling his perspective “ridiculous.”
“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history! I think that’s an answer to itself,” Gu said at a news conference.
She defended her decision by saying, “The US already has representation” and “I like to build my own pond.” Newsweek reports.
The athlete previously won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics. This year she has won two more silver medals in Milan-Cortina and will start a third event, the women’s freeski halfpipe, on Thursday.
When asked Monday whether she believes her performance at the 2026 Olympics “won two silvers or lost two golds,” Gu laughed.
“How do I say this? Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for any athlete. Doing it five times is exponentially harder because every medal is equally difficult for me, but everyone’s expectations rise, right?” Gu responded. “And so, the ‘two medals lost’ situation, to be quite honest, I think it’s quite a ridiculous perspective to take.”
Her response has since gone viral.
“I’m showing my best skiing. I’m doing things that have literally never been done before, and so I think that’s more than good enough. But thank you,” she concluded her response.
