Skiing star Eileen Gu, who has sparked controversy for choosing to represent China over the USA, had to settle for silver at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina yet again.
Gu, who was born in San Francisco but competes for her mother’s native China, targeted her second medal of the 2026 Games when she attempted to defend her big air ski freestyle title on Monday.
The 22-year-old did manage to clinch a medal – the second of her three-medal bid in Italy – but it wasn’t the color she wanted.
China’s poster girl failed to defend her gold from Beijing, instead clinching the silver medal with a score of 179 from two jumps as Canada’s Megan Oldham soared to victory.
Oldham topped the 10-woman final with a combined score of 180.75 points from two jumps. Italy’s Flora Tabanelli took bronze while competing with an injured ACL.
The Canadian locked up gold with her first two jumps. She had an inconsequential fall on her third jump, the last of the final, which became a victory lap.
Skiing star Eileen Gu failed to defend her big air title at the Winter Olympics on Monday
The 22-year-old had to settle for silver for a second time at the Milan-Cortina Games
Heavy snow fell on Livigno, leaving the athletes facing an anxious wait amid the weather delay
In 2022, Gu became the first freestyle skier to win three medals in a single Games after taking gold in big air and halfpipe and silver in slopestyle at age 18, and she is looking to replicate the feat in Italy.
Monday’s final marked the first time that Gu has competed in the discipline since she topped the podium four years ago when it was part of her previous three-medal haul at the 2022 Games.
Yet, there are enough similarities between big air and slopestyle, which features similar jumps, that Gu found her rhythm quickly. She finished second in qualifying two nights ago, behind Oldham, who won bronze in the slopestyle.
The big air presented the second of Gu’s three medal chances at these Games, after Mathilde Gremaud beat her to the gold in the slopestyle last week.
Gu is the only female freeskier signed up for all three disciplines – slopestyle, halfpipe and big air – and Monday’s final took place at the same time that the first of three, three-hour halfpipe training sessions was held.
She hit out at organizers over the weekend after they refused to allow her the same time as everyone else to practice for her third and final event, the halfpipe.
She said that she reached out to organizers at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), which sets the schedule, for assistance but didn’t get any help.
‘The Olympics is the stage upon which miracles materialize and the impossible ceases to be so right before our very eyes,’ Gu wrote on Instagram. ‘It inspires both athletes and sports lovers to dream big and break limits.
Megan Oldham (middle) claimed gold, while Flora Tabanelli (right) finished with the bronze
Gu hugs her mother, Yan Gu, at the bottom of her third and final jump in the big air final
‘This decision is disappointing to me because it seems to contradict the spirit of the games. Daring to be the only woman to compete in three events should not be penalized – making finals in one event should not disadvantage me in another.
‘What kind of message does this send to future athletes who love skiing for its essence and want to compete in every event? This was a totally avoidable issue and I am saddened by the hardline stance FIS has chosen to take.’
Speaking to reporters on Saturday after qualifying for the big air final, Gu insisted she was not seeking special treatment and just wanted to be able to get the same amount of practice in as her competitors.
‘Halfpipe is an entirely different event,’ Gu added. ‘It’s like sprinting and a marathon. They’re both running but they’re completely different sports.’
Gu has banked a staggering $23 million over the past year, yet a look at her books reveals a mystery that has left the sports world scratching its head.
Of that eye-watering fortune, it is estimated that only about $20,000 actually came from endeavors on the slopes – where she opts to represent China and not the US.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist is earning a relative pittance from the very sport that made her a household name.
Yet, as her wealth explodes, so does the vitriol from back home, where critics and former athletes have begun openly labeling the San Francisco-born skier a ‘traitor.’
Gu claimed silver in the slopestyle last week when she competed in her first of three events
Born in the United States, Gu switched to represent her mom’s homeland China at age 15
The answer lies in a high-stakes gamble that saw the California-born prodigy turn her back on Team USA to represent a nation 6,000 miles away.
By trading her American allegiance for a Chinese bib, Gu has cashed in on a billion-dollar market while being branded a defector by the country that raised her.
However, Gu strongly denied that the opportunity to earn more money – through representing Chinese companies – did not play a role in her decision.
‘I’m glad that there’s enough money in the sport now for people to think that’s a consideration,’ the Olympic champion told TIME Magazine last month.
Gu explained that she wanted to represent China because she believed she could inspire more youngsters – especially girls – to take up freestyle skiing, which wasn’t popular in her mother’s homeland.
‘The US already has the representation,’ Gu told Time Magazine. ‘I like building my own pond.’
Before the last Olympics, Gu estimated that at least a quarter of her life had been spent in the Far East. That did not stop her from coming in for criticism.
In the aftermath of victory in Beijing, Gu was quizzed about her citizenship status. China does not allow dual citizenship and state media previously reported that she renounced her US citizenship after she became a Chinese national aged 15.
But Gu dodged questions about whether she had given up her US citizenship four years ago. And she told TIME: ‘I don’t really see how that’s relevant.’
