China's Eileen Gu Finishes Second in Slopestyle, But Doesn't See It as a 'Disaster'
Eileen Gu landed the trick dubbed "disaster" once on Monday during the women's freestyle skiing slopestyle finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics. This came after she could not land it twice over the course of her run.
The trick, which involves skiing backward and then leaping over a feature while twisting in an unnatural direction, is considered one of the most difficult in the sport. However, when Gu got it right on Monday, it opened up her Milan-Cortina odyssey with a second straight silver medal in the event.
Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud took gold with her best run yet, and Megan Oldham of Canada hit back-to-back jumps to finish third. The margin between first and second place was less than half a point, highlighting how closely these top skiers were matched up against one another.
Gu had been reworking her rails portion before the Olympics in an effort to boost her chances. This portion includes four features on the more technical top of the slope, with Gu choosing the longer rail on the right during qualifying.
When asked about landing the trick successfully, Gu said it showed her mental strength and was a testament to her ability to peak at the right time. She praised Gremaud's performance, saying she knew Gremaud had practiced her winning run before the Olympics.
For Gu, however, there is no disappointment in second place. Instead, she views it as an opportunity for women's skiing to continue growing and evolving. "You are literally watching women's skiing evolve in real time," she said.
Eileen Gu landed the trick dubbed "disaster" once on Monday during the women's freestyle skiing slopestyle finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics. This came after she could not land it twice over the course of her run.
The trick, which involves skiing backward and then leaping over a feature while twisting in an unnatural direction, is considered one of the most difficult in the sport. However, when Gu got it right on Monday, it opened up her Milan-Cortina odyssey with a second straight silver medal in the event.
Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud took gold with her best run yet, and Megan Oldham of Canada hit back-to-back jumps to finish third. The margin between first and second place was less than half a point, highlighting how closely these top skiers were matched up against one another.
Gu had been reworking her rails portion before the Olympics in an effort to boost her chances. This portion includes four features on the more technical top of the slope, with Gu choosing the longer rail on the right during qualifying.
When asked about landing the trick successfully, Gu said it showed her mental strength and was a testament to her ability to peak at the right time. She praised Gremaud's performance, saying she knew Gremaud had practiced her winning run before the Olympics.
For Gu, however, there is no disappointment in second place. Instead, she views it as an opportunity for women's skiing to continue growing and evolving. "You are literally watching women's skiing evolve in real time," she said.
. I mean, you're trying a trick that's basically known as a 'disaster' in the sport and still manage to nail it? That takes so much guts and confidence! 
And I love how she's taking the loss as an opportunity for women's skiing to grow – it's all about progress, right? 
The margin between first and second place was super tight, but Gu's right, it's not like there's a huge gap in terms of skill level. We're seeing some amazing talent emerging from countries like China, Switzerland, and Canada... the future of women's skiing is looking 
!
. She's taking it as a positive opportunity for women's skiing to grow and evolve, which is super inspiring! 
. It's a testament to her confidence and trust in her own abilities.
. She's reworking her skills, pushing herself to innovate and improve, which will likely have a positive impact on women's skiing in the long run 
. Keep doing what you're doing, Eileen! 
. Second place is just that - second place 
. Gu might be happy with the outcome, but I think she's glossing over the fact that she didn't get the one trick right all three times like everyone else wants to claim 
. What's so special about this "disaster" trick, anyway? It's just a bunch of tricks strung together 
.
2nd place is def not a bad outcome, especially after puttin all that work into reworkin her rails portion. the Olympics are all about progression and innovation 
women's skiing is comin up fast, and eileen gu's like the vanguard 
. Gu's positivity is infectious 
. The thing that really gets me tho, is Eileen Gu being all chill about her "disaster" – like, isn't she feeling the pressure or anything? 
Still, I guess it's cool that she's so optimistic about women's skiing growing and evolving. That's actually pretty inspiring 
i mean, don't get me wrong, eileen gu is still hella talented and all that jazz, but let's not forget there's a whole world of skiing out there 
anyway, i guess it's nice to see her taking the loss in stride and focusing on the bigger picture 
. But for real, congrats to Gremaud on the gold - she must've been practicing that winning run in her sleep 
. Gu's mental strength is cute, but let's be real, it's not like she didn't prepare for this event...
. That kind of positivity and determination is super inspiring 
). And let's be real, she's only 21 years old - I'm sure there'll be plenty more opportunities for her to shine 
!
. Silver is still silver! 
And congrats to Gremaud on that gold medal, she totally deserved it 