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Olympic ski star Eileen Gu suffered a brutal fall during the women’s half-pipe qualifier on Thursday.
Gu’s fall occurred on her first run when she clipped the edge of the half-pipe on the third lap, knocking off her left ski and sending her sliding down the course.
This resulted in a second attempt under pressure that she had to finish cleanly to stay in contention.
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China’s Eileen Gu competes in the first qualifying round of the women’s freestyle half-pipe freestyle skiing during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Livigno Snow Park in Livigno (Valtellina), February 19, 2026. (Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Gu didn’t get conservative and performed a race full of risky tricks, including one that had her soaring 14 feet above the edge of the half-pipe. She almost got her ski stuck during a landing, but managed to stay on her feet.
His run earned him 86.50 points, enough to place fifth among the 12 skiers who qualified for the final.
“I was relieved,” Gu said. “I just had this moment of like, ‘Thank you.’ You know, I shouldn’t be in this position to begin with, but I’m glad I was able to build my confidence when it mattered.”
So far, Gu has won two silver medals in freestyle skiing at Milan Cortina in the slicestyle and big air events. Saturday’s halfpipe final will be his last chance to win gold.
A Tuesday interaction with a reporter went viral after Gu replied to a question about whether she had won two silver medals instead of gold so far at the Olympics, suggesting the question came from a “ridiculous perspective”.
“I’m the most decorated freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in itself,” Gu said when asked if she considered her two medals “silvers won” or “golds lost.”
Controversial Olympian EILEEN GU upset over ‘really unfair’ Winter Games schedule
Eileen Gu of Team People’s Republic of China falls during the Women’s Freeski Halfpipe Qualification 1 on the thirteenth day of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Livigno Aerial Park on February 19, 2026 in Livigno, Italy. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
“How can 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 each medal is just as difficult for me, but everyone else’s expectations go up, right?
“The two lost medals situation, to be completely honest with you, I think it’s a bit of a ridiculous perspective to take. I’m putting out my best skiing. I’m doing things that have literally never been done before. So, I think it’s more than enough, but thank you.”
Gu has faced global criticism since his decision to represent China, dating back to the initial decision in 2019 and his first Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022. This year, that criticism has intensified.
vice-president J.D. Vance weighed in on the controversy surrounding Gu in an interview Tuesday on PK Press Club’ “The Story With Martha MacCallum.”
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China’s Eileen Gu competes in the first qualifying round of the women’s freestyle half-pipe freestyle skiing during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Livigno Snow Park in Livigno (Valtellina), February 19, 2026. (Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America and has benefited from our education system, the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I would hope that they would want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance said.
“So I’m going root for American athletes. I think part of that is people who identify as Americans. This is why I support these Olympic Games.”
