Stanford's Eileen Gu Makes History, Blocks Out Noise at Milan-Cortina Olympics

Earlier this week, Stanford's Eileen Gu became the most decorated women's freestyle skiier ever with her silver medal victory in slopestyle. Later this week, she'll be attempting to qualify for the women's freeski halfpipe, with the qualification round on Thursday, followed by the finals on Saturday.

In the midst of earning a tremendous achievement and preparing for her third and final event of the 2026 Winter Olympics, she has also been followed by plenty of controversy back home, after competing for China instead of the United States for a second time. Gu was born in San Francisco and is an undergrad at Stanford, and has made the decision to compete elsewhere.

On Tuesday, United States Vice President JD Vance was asked about that decision on "The Story With Martha MacCallum" on Fox News. He admitted that he had no idea what Gu's status should be, saying that the Olympic Committee has the ultimate say, but he did go into his own thoughts on the matter as well.

"I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that makes this country a great place, I would hope they want to compete with the United States of America," Vance said in his Fox News interview.

Why Gu chose to represent China

Feb 16, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Silver medalist Ailing Eileen Gu of the People's Republic of China celebrates during the medal ceremony for the women's big air final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

While which country she has chosen to represent is a hot-button topic politically, the reasoning for her decision is much more personal. Of course, her mother's Chinese heritage played a role in the decision to represent Team China in both the Beijing Olympics four years ago, and the Milan-Cortina Olympics right now.

According to the Associated Press back in 2022, a big part of the decision was about Asian American identity, as she was raised by two strong women, her mother and grandmother. When she originally made the decision at 18-years-old, she wanted to inspire girls in China, since there are fewer role models that are women in the East.

Now she is the most decorated women's skier in history, with more medals potentially on the way.

Winning, with style

She has taken on the role of being a role model in her own way, too. After winning the silver medal this week, she was asked if she sees the two silvers that she has won as two medals gained, or two gold medals lost. She handled the question by touting her accomplishments and showcasing that she has plenty of self confidence, despite coming in second place.

In The Athletic, they noted that everyone that has been around her events says that the media line to talk to her is just insane, sometimes as many as 100 reporters deep.

Competing at such a high level while also having the mental wear and tear of giving just a little bit of yourself in every interview, facing scrutiny at every turn and still going out and showing that you're in the same realm as the best in the world—that's a special mix of talents. Some would even call it an inspiring mix.

She's also handling the constant adversity with grace, eloquence and a little bit of sass, while her performances on the slopes give people another reason to cheer.