Winter Olympics: Eileen Gu, rival of Team GB's Kirsty Muir throws down gauntlet at Milano Cortina - 'I have proven everything I have to prove'

Freestyle skiing sensation Eileen Gu is looking to build on her historic three-medal feat achieved at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and remained on course to do that by finishing second in Saturday's slopestyle qualifiers. She will be challenged by Team GB sensation Kirsty Muir, the 21-year-old tipped at one of Britain's 'Golden Girls', who claimed gold in the X Games just last month.

Eileen Gu says she is skiing at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with nothing to prove, as she looks to stave off the challenge from Team GB hopeful Kirsty Muir.

Muir, 21, enters her second Games as one of Britain's 'Golden Girls', having competed in Beijing four years ago as her country's youngest athlete.

But in her way stands Chinese sensation Gu who, at her home Olympics in 2022, scooped two gold medals and a silver at just 18 years of age - becoming the first freeskier to win three medals at the same Winter Games.

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Four years later, she appears the front-runner for gold once again. She qualified for the slopestyle final after finishing second in Saturday's slopestyle qualifiers, recovering after falling on her first run.

Speaking afterwards, Gu said the honour of competing in the Olympics does not fade, and that despite her past success, her preparations remain unaltered.

"It is my second Olympics, but it is my first second Olympics and every Olympics is a once in a lifetime experience," Gu said.

Watch: Muir WOWS with brilliant first run as she seals slopestyle final spot

Video credit: TNT Sports

"They are all completely different and one of my personal mantras is I train like I have never won, and I compete like I have never lost and what I mean by that, is I come into every competition training-wise feeling like a rookie. I have no chip on my shoulder, I have proven everything I have to prove.

"I am the most decorated World Cup free skier ever, male or female, I am the youngest free ski gold medallist, I am the only person to have three medals, so point being, I am not here to prove anything. I am here because I want to be. I love this sport, I want to represent this sport honourably on the world stage and do the best I possibly can. That is kind of the only goal I have."

Gu scored 75.30 on Saturday, more than 10 points ahead of Muir, and just shy of four behind first-placed Mathilde Gremaud.

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She added: "I like to say that skiing, especially competitive skiing is 50% skill, 50% mental and what I love so much about skiing is it gives you the full breadth of human emotion.

"I went through the five stages of grief, all of the hope, punched myself up, sank into flow state all in the course of like 10 minutes and at the top before I was like, I know I am going to land this run, I know it.

"That belief in yourself, I think is something that is so unique to sports and particularly to the Olympic spirit, so that is why my goal is to introduce the sport of free skiing to more people, young people, girls, so that people can really build that confidence from within.

"I think it is such a unique way to bring the world together."

Watch: 'That's more like it!' - Gu 'delivers' on second run after earlier fall

Video credit: TNT Sports

Muir 'feeling really good' after reaching finals

Team GB sensation Muir justified her billing as a medal hope with a strong best run of 64.98 to book her spot in Monday's final, and says she is happy to have brushed away the nerves of her second Olympic appearance.

Muir carried the momentum of her X Games gold medal - clinched last month in Aspen - as she eyes a maiden Olympic medal at Milano Cortina.

Having competed at just 17 in Beijing, Muir has four further years of experience behind her, and said she is feeling strong heading into her first medal event.

"I am feeling really good now," Muir said. "I was really nervous this morning, so happy to put some runs down and ready for finals.

"Every competition is so different, and I feel like there is a lot more noise at this one. Everyone is watching, everyone is supporting, and I am so thankful for the support.

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"But it is also, in this instance, getting through to finals was an important bit for me and now in finals I can go all out, put it all on the floor and see what happens.

"It is quite fun up there, because it is a lot quieter which is nice and you can take yourself to a little corner, but up there it feels similar to other comps, but everyone is just wanting to put their best performances down and that is what we are hoping for."

TNT Sports expert Aimee Fuller has high hopes for Muir, saying she is in "absolute machine mode" as she aims for a maiden Olympic medal - having finished fifth in big air and eighth in slopestyle four years ago.

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