Eileen Gu, a 22-year-old Chinese-American freestyle skier representing China, is at the center of a controversy at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The only woman registered in all three freestyle disciplines – slopestyle, halfpipe and big air – she has openly criticized the organizers after a fall during a jump in the big air qualifications on February 14, which broke one of her skis and caused her to drop to 17th place provisionally.
"The Olympics should celebrate ambition, not punish it."
Having already won a silver medal in slopestyle earlier in the week, Eileen Gu expressed her disappointment over "the lack of sufficient training before her halfpipe final", calling for "a rescheduling of the calendar for more practice" – a request since rejected by the FIS (International Ski Federation).
"I am disappointed in the FIS," Eileen Gu told reporters after the incident. "The Olympics should embody aspiration, and doing something extraordinary should be celebrated rather than punished," she added, criticizing a "truly unfair schedule that would punish excellence" for daring to aim for three events.
The FIS, through its spokesperson Bruno Sassi, responded that "every effort has been made to facilitate optimal training," but that "for athletes choosing multiple disciplines, conflicts are sometimes unavoidable." Three training sessions were scheduled before the qualifications, more than for a typical World Cup.
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Accusations of selfishness and virulent criticism
This stance quickly sparked division: many fans and observers deemed it "selfish," accusing Eileen Gu of demanding "preferential treatment at the expense of sporting fairness." According to a New York Post article, she is accused of "wanting to reorganize events around her schedule," highlighting the tensions surrounding her status as an ultra-paid superstar—with $23 million earned in 2025 and estimated multi-million dollar Chinese government funding.
These criticisms also highlight her controversial journey: moving from the United States to China in 2019, she sparks debates about loyalty and the privileges granted to versatile athletes in the face of rigid Olympic rules.
Ultimately, Eileen Gu's rebellion against the FIS encapsulates the key issues of the 2026 Olympics: individual ambition versus collective fairness. While her exceptional performances deserve admiration, her demands are controversial and divisive, with some seeing them as pure selfishness.
