Reporter tried to shame freeskier with 'most Olympic medals ever.' She counted her medals for him

We’re called to recognize and acknowledge every small win, and anyone who tries to dumb it down should be countered with something epic. Chinese-American Olympic skier Eileen Gu did just that after winning two silver medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, reported The Poke. The athlete’s performance in the 'women's freeski slopestyle' and 'big air' earned her silver, and instead of celebrating it, a reporter had a rather unexpected question. Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporter John Weaver asked if Gu saw the outcome as two silvers won or “two golds lost?” Her subtle laugh before responding revealed a mic-drop response, and it's become a highlight at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. 

According to Business Insider, the five-time Olympic medalist didn’t hesitate when she had to respond. In a clip shared by Yahoo Sports on Instagram Threads, her tone, words, and every bit of her constructed answer had the internet applauding. "I am the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that is an answer in and of itself,” she confidently said. However, she was only getting started. She explained that winning a medal at the Olympics, in general, is a big deal for every athlete. She went on to proudly show off her past wins and mentioned how doing it “five times” is harder as expectations rise with each win. 

Then came her banger conclusion. “And so the two medals 'lost,' to be quite frank with you, I think it's kind of a ridiculous perspective to take," she said without skipping a beat. A study revealed that having confidence and self-esteem has way more benefits than you might imagine. Being confident in oneself helps “adapt to and succeed in a variety of life domains,” including work, studies, relationships, and so on. To an extent, this resilience can even determine the outcomes of certain situations. 

The study done by psychologists of the  University of California, Davis, and the University of Bern noted that self-esteem can “strengthen persistence after rejection and failure,” thus pushing a person to thrive and do better, according to the American Psychological Association. Psychologist Richard Robins summarized that self-esteem “matters.” “Just looking at a year of a person’s life, there might be a small benefit to feeling good about yourself,” Robins noted. However, when compared to a couple of years or a decade or two, these small benefits accumulate to show a big impact. 

The clip has gone viral since it was shared by @olympics and many other personalities, too. The post came with the perfect caption, “We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!” It’s the confidence, the sass, the self-esteem that everyone needs to have, especially after being a five-time Olympic champion. Gu’s response was a dose of inspiration to many other women, fellow athletes, and others who face controversy over their hard work and effort. @gy.ayrosa wrote, “She just became an inspiration to so many girls out there!” @natfortes added, “It was a golden answer!! I loved her laugh!” @kennychase25 remarked, “This may be the best response to an interview question I’ve ever seen. Ever.” @jackie.544 added, “That laugh! Pure queen energy.”

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