Eileen Gu was not disappointed to take silver at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, describing the result as the culmination of a demanding journey back to the top of her sport.
The two-time Olympic champion repeated her result from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, finishing second in the women’s freeski slopestyle on Monday after scoring 86.58 points, just 0.38 behind Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud at the Livigno Snow Park.
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After a fall on the opening rail of her final run – the same section where she crashed during qualifying – Gu was unable to improve on her first score, but her relaxed reaction underlined her satisfaction with the performance.
“I really did overcome so much to get here,” Gu told Olympics.com after the event. “The last four years have been challenging, to say the least.”
Gu revealed she had battled multiple injuries during that period, including a severe concussion last year that was followed by seizures and raised doubts over whether she would be able to return to competition. Despite those setbacks, she described her opening run as the best slopestyle performance of her career.
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“So being able to compete and really showcase my best skiing – that was my best slopestyle run that I’ve ever done,” she said, adding that the final also represented a step forward for the sport at its highest level.
Gu accepted her silver medal from fellow Olympian HRH Princess Anne, securing a fourth Olympic medal in four events for China. She is due to compete next in the big air and halfpipe events, where she will attempt to defend the gold medals she won on home snow in Beijing.
