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Mike Chan

Decorated Olympian Eileen Gu said she “doesn’t feel any pressure” to win the first gold medal for China at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Gu made the comment after winning silver at the freestyle skiing women’s big air event on Monday. The Chinese star has two silver medals in Italy, after also winning a slopestyle silver last week.
The remark is an about-turn for Gu, who earlier said she felt as though she was skiing “with the weight of two countries on my shoulders” after being beaten to Winter Olympics gold in the slopestyle by Mathilde Gremaud.
Heading into the Milano Cortina Games, Gu had two golds and one silver from Beijing 2022, and now with her tally up to five medals, the San Francisco-born athlete has cemented her place as the most successful freestyle ski athlete in the history of the Winter Olympics.
“I am the person with the most women’s freestyle ski [Olympic] medals, and it’s a historic record,” she said. “It’s more difficult every time; the first medal was a life-changing process, and the fifth? It’s equally difficult for me.
“The others [people in China] have higher expectations of me, but I don’t feel any pressure; maybe the others do, but that’s their own choice.
“I can only do my best, and hope to showcase the best version of me under the highest pressure.”

A big air gold medallist in Beijing four years ago, Gu finished second this time with a combined score – across two runs – of 179, behind Megan Oldham of Canada, who scored 180.75 points. Bronze went to Flora Tabanelli of Italy.
Gu also said she hoped her latest medal would encourage “more young women to dare and try”.
“The most important thing of all today was that I dared to compete. I didn’t really think I was going to compete in big air,” said the 22-year-old.
“But I felt like since I am already here and I could compete, then why shouldn’t I try? Why not let the world see the best version of me now?
“Whether I win or lose, whether I succeed or fail, I feel that just having the world see me, and daring to step onto the stage, is already a gold medal for me.”
Entering the final five days at Livigno Snow Park, China ranked down at No 19 on the medals table with three silver and two bronze medals, behind non-traditional winter sport countries such as Slovenia and Kazakhstan.
Even Brazil are ahead of China after Lucas Pinheiro won the South American country’s first-ever Winter Olympics gold medal by capturing the men’s giant slalom title last Saturday.
Gu still has one chance to repeat her three-medal task, when she defends her halfpipe gold.
The two-round qualifiers are scheduled for Thursday evening, with the top 12 performers advancing to Saturday’s final.


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Eileen Gu made the comment after winning silver at the freestyle skiing women’s big air event on Monday. Photo: Reuters 

Eileen Gu won halfpipe gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. Photo: Reuters

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China’s Eileen Gu (left) celebrates her silver as gold medalist Megan Oldham and bronze medalist Flora Tabanelli walk away. Photo: AP

Eileen Gu competes during the women’s freestyle skiing big air finals. Photo: AP

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The 22-year-old, who has two silver medals in Italy so far, will defend her halfpipe gold, starting with qualifiers on Thursday evening


The 22-year-old, who has two silver medals in Italy so far, will defend her halfpipe gold, starting with qualifiers on Thursday evening.


Eileen Gu

Eileen Gu ‘doesn’t feel any pressure’ to win China’s first gold medal at Winter Olympics

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The 22-year-old, who has two silver medals in Italy so far, will defend her halfpipe gold, starting with qualifiers on Thursday evening

The 22-year-old, who has two silver medals in Italy so far, will defend her halfpipe gold, starting with qualifiers on Thursday evening