Eileen Gu, 22, Becomes 'Most Decorated Female Freestyler' with Big Air Silver at 2026 Winter Olympics

China’s Eileen Gu made history on Monday, 16 February, at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, becoming the most decorated woman in the history of freestyle skiing. The 22-year-old secured her record-breaking fifth Olympic medal by claiming silver in the women's freeski Big Air final at the Livigno Snow Park. Penisgate to Broken Medals: The Growing List of 2026 Winter Olympics Scandals (Watch Videos).

Gu, the defending champion from the Beijing 2022 Games, finished with a combined score of 179.00 points. She narrowly missed out on a gold medal defence to Canada’s Megan Oldham, who took the top spot with 180.75 points. Italy’s Flora Tabanelli delighted the home crowd by clinching the bronze.

A Record-Breaking Tally

With this latest podium finish, Gu has surpassed all other female freestyle skiers in Olympic history. Her career medal count now stands at five: two golds and three silvers.

Her previous achievements include gold in Big Air and Halfpipe, along with a silver in Slopestyle at the Beijing 2022 Games. Just a week prior in these Milano-Cortina Games, she added her first silver of the 2026 cycle in the Slopestyle event. Gu is now tied with Canadian moguls specialist Mikaël Kingsbury for the most Olympic medals ever won by a freestyle skier, male or female.

Eileen Gu: Olympic Medal Record

Resilience Amidst Challenging Conditions

The final was far from straightforward, as a heavy snowstorm in the Alpine town of Livigno delayed the competition by over an hour. Athletes were forced to reset mentally as blizzard conditions swept through the course. Gold Medal Breaks! Olympic Officials Investigate Faulty Medals at 2026 Winter Olympics.

Gu’s performance was particularly notable given her preparation. The star athlete had not competed in a Big Air event since her victory in Beijing four years ago, focusing instead on other disciplines. Furthermore, Gu revealed after the event that she had hit her head and broken her helmet during a training run earlier that day, requiring her to use the weather delay to ice her injury in a dark room.

What  Eileen Gu  Said After 5th Olympics Medal

"Five-time Olympic medallist has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?" Gu remarked following the medal ceremony. Addressing questions about falling short of the gold, she remained steadfast in her achievement. "I am the most decorated female free skier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself."

The victory for Megan Oldham marked Canada's first-ever Olympic gold in a women's freeski event, while Flora Tabanelli’s bronze was the first freestyle skiing medal in Italy’s Olympic history.

Looking Ahead: The Halfpipe Defence

Despite her record-setting night, Gu’s campaign in Italy is not yet over. She remains the heavy favourite for the women's Halfpipe competition, which begins with qualifying rounds on Thursday.

A podium finish in the Halfpipe would bring her total to six medals, officially moving her past Kingsbury to become the most decorated freestyle skier of either gender in the history of the Winter Olympic Games.