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Olympic ski star Eileen Gu suffered a hard fall during the women’s halfpipe qualifier on Thursday.
Gu’s fall came on her first run when she clipped the lip of the halfpipe on the third trick, knocking off her left ski and sending her skidding to the bottom of the course.
That created a pressured second attempt that she had to complete cleanly to stay in contention.
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China’s Eileen Gu competes in freestyle skiing for the women’s freeski halfpipe qualification race 1 during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Livigno Snow Park, in Livigno (Valtellina), on February 19, 2026. (Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Gu wasn’t conservative and laid down a run full of risky tricks, including one that took her soaring 14 feet over the edge of the halfpipe. She came close to clipping her ski on one floor but managed to stay upright.
Her run earned 86.50 points, good enough to place fifth among the 12 skiers who advanced to the finals.
“I was relieved,” Gu said. “I just had a moment like, ‘thank you.’ You know, I shouldn’t be in this position to begin with, but I’m glad I was able to boost my sense of confidence in that moment when it counted.”
So far, Gu has won two silver medals in freestyle skiing in Milano Cortina in the slopestyle and big air events. The halfpipe final on Saturday is her last chance to win gold.
An interaction Tuesday with a reporter went viral Gu replied to a question about her winning two silver medals so far instead of gold in the Olympics, suggesting the question came from a “ridiculous perspective.”
“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in itself,” Gu said when asked if she saw her two medals as “earned silver” or “lost gold”.
CONTROVERSIAL OLYMPIC EILEEN GU CREATED OVER ‘REALLY DISAPPOINTED’ WINTER GAMES SCHEDULE
Eileen Gu of Team People’s Republic of China falls in the Women’s Freeski Halfpipe Qualification 1 on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Livigno Air Park on February 19, 2026 in Livigno, Italy. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
“How do I say it? Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for any athlete. To do it five times is exponentially harder because every medal is equally difficult for me, but everyone else’s expectations go up, right?
“The two medals lost situation, to be completely honest with you, I think is kind of a ridiculous perspective to take. I’m showing my best skiing. I’m doing things that have literally never been done before. So I think it’s more than good enough, but thank you.”
Gu has been the subject of global criticism since her decision to represent China dates back to the original decision in 2019 and her first Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022. This year, the criticism has increased.
Vice President JD Vance weighed in on the controversy surrounding Gu in an interview Tuesday on Pakinomist’ “The Story With Martha MacCallum.”
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China’s Eileen Gu competes in freestyle skiing for the women’s freeski halfpipe qualification race 1 during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Livigno Snow Park, in Livigno (Valtellina), on February 19, 2026. (Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
“Certainly I think someone who has grown up in the United States and has benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I hope they want to compete with the United States,” Vance said.
“So I will root for American athletes. I think part of it is people identifying themselves as Americans. That’s who I’m going for in this Olympics.”
