Chloe Kim heaped praise on Eileen Gu after the latter became the most decorated female freeskier, earning her fifth medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Gu was in contention in the women’s big air finals on February 16, 2026, and finished runner-up behind Canadian skier Megan Oldham.
Kim also added a silver in the women’s snowboarding halfpipe event, extending her Olympic medal count to three.
Chloe Kim Sent Support to Eileen Gu after Freeskiing History at the Winter Olympics
Gu entered the line-up of all three freeskiing disciplines, the only woman to do so at this year’s Games. She repeated her silver medal-winning feat earlier in the competition and aimed to defend her big air title. She scored 90.00 points on Run 1, 61.25 on Run 2, and 89.00 on Run 3 to round off the day and place second behind Oldham.
The 22-year-old’s feat made her the most decorated female freeskier with five Olympic medals, and also solidified her status as a global phenomenon. Her achievement was followed by an Instagram post with the caption: “Most Olympic medals in freeski history. Thank you @olympics.”
Kim, who has also been taking her respective sport to great levels, sent her fellow athlete support by commenting:
“Major major major”
Kim, who became the youngest Olympic snowboarding champion at 17 when she won the halfpipe title at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, was the first woman to win two Olympic gold medals in her signature discipline after adding her second at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Her third Olympic medal, a silver in the halfpipe at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, tied her with the legendary Shaun White’s total medal count. She also boasts eight X Games gold medals.
Meanwhile, Gu also has an association with White, as she competed in the Snow League, a league he founded, and won the inaugural women’s halfpipe event in December 2025. The US-born Chinese skier has not only stepped into the sport to add laurels to her wall of fame but also to inspire the next generation to dream big.
READ MORE: Who Are Eileen Gu’s Parents? Inside the Family and Support System Behind the Freestyle Skiing Star
In an interview during the Olympics, Gu reiterated the same, noting that her goal remains unchanged: to “introduce freeskiing to more young people, particularly girls.” She expressed her honor in having a platform that allows her to bring the sport to a wider audience and help those unfamiliar with it see what’s possible.
Gu became the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a single Winter Olympics, accomplishing the feat at the 2022 Winter Olympics. She initially competed for the United States but chose to represent China in June 2019.