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China's Gu defiant after missing out on Olympic gold again / Photo: © AFP
China's Gu defiant after missing out on Olympic gold again
China's freeski superstar Eileen Gu dismissed any suggestion of disappointment after missing out on another Olympic gold on Monday, saying she was "doing things that have never been done before".
Gu came to the Milan-Cortina Games targeting three gold medals but has failed to top the podium in women's slopestyle and big air.
The two-time champion from the 2022 Beijing Games has one more chance to win gold -- in the halfpipe competition.
Gu's big air silver in Livigno on Monday, behind Canada's Megan Oldham, made her the most-decorated woman Olympic freeski athlete, with five medals in total.
She was asked by reporters whether she assessed her two completed competitions as two silvers won or two golds lost.
"I'm the most decorated female free skier in history," she said, defending her record.
"I think that's an answer in and of itself. How do I say this? Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete.
"Doing it five times is exponentially harder, because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else's expectations rise."
Gu had not competed in big air since winning the event at the Beijing Olympics, where she also topped the podium in the halfpipe.
The US-born athlete, who switched allegiance to China in 2019, said it felt special to win her fifth Olympic medal just ahead of the Lunar New Year in China.
The 22-year-old said the pressure of competing in Italy was "completely different" from performing in front of a home crowd as she did in Beijing four years ago.
"I will say that kind of pressure can make or break you," she said.
"I was going in, and I felt I was representing hundreds of millions of people. And it was no joke.
"I think it was a wonderful experience, because it really lifted me to the highest level.
"It allowed me to do things that truly were impossible.... But I think now it's even more powerful, because I feel I'm here because I want to be, not just because it's the default option for me.
"I've said, if I wanted to retire and feel good about myself for the rest of my life, I could. But I don't, because I love this sport now more than ever, and I fall more in love with it every day."
O.Kwon--SG
