Eileen Gu, 22-year-old Olympic freestyle skier and Stanford University student, has a talent for winning medals — and for standing up for herself. At the Milan Cortina Games, Gu has dominated the slopes, adding to her collection of accolades that makes her one of the most decorated athletes in her sport. With podium finishes across freeski events — including silver in big air and slopestyle events — Gu’s technical precision, amplitude, and near-effortless landings have made her a fixture atop leaderboards and highlight reels alike. But as Gu racks up medals, she also faces criticism.
Although she was born in San Francisco, California, and raised in the Bay Area, Gu is competing for China, her mother’s home country, at the Olympics — something some people take major issue with. One of those people is the vice president of the United States, JD Vance. In an interview with FOX News on Feb. 17, Vance, referring to Gu, said, “I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America, who benefitted from our education system and the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I would hope that they’d want to compete with the United States of America.”
Gu’s response? Unbothered.
“I’m flattered. Thanks JD! That’s sweet,” Gu said in response to the VP’s remarks when taking questions after the halfpipe qualifying round, according to USA Today.
Gu’s decision to compete for China came in June 2019, ahead of the 2022 Beijing Games, a decision that has continued into 2026. It’s not uncommon for U.S.-based athletes to compete for other countries, but Gu addressed why she thinks she’s experiencing more criticism for doing so than others. “Because I win,” Gu said, per USA Today. “Like, if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions.”
This isn’t the first time Gu’s gone viral at the 2026 Olympic Games. At a Feb. 16 press conference after her second-place finish in freeski slopestyle, a journalist asked her whether she viewed her results as “two silvers gained or two golds lost,” essentially questioning whether she was disappointed that she didn’t finish in first place in the two events where she placed second.
After laughing, Gu responded, “I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself.” She continued, “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?”
Gu has a point. At the 2022 Beijing Games, she took gold in big air and halfpipe competitions, and silver in slopestyle. With her Milan Cortina silvers, she has now won five medals, more than any other female freeskier in the Winter Games. Gu is also competing in the women’s halfpipe final on Feb. 21, with the potential to increase her total count further. And now, she’s not just leading in the medal count; she’s racking up wins in the clapback category, too.