"Get out" →"Please forgive me" U.S.-born Chinese ski legend changes public opinion 180 degrees to silver medal [Milan Olympics]

*This content was translated by AI.

The continent's response to China's freestyle ski sign Guai Ling (22, Eileen-gu) is turning positively.

Guai-ling ranked second with 86.58 points in the women's slopestyle final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics held at Lvigno Snow Park in Italy on the 9th (Korea time).

U.S.-born Guai Ling has joined China's national team since 2019, winning two gold medals in Big Air and halfpipe and silver in slopestyle at the 2022 Beijing Games, marking his fourth Olympic medal ever and second consecutive silver in the event.

Slopestyle is an event that scores and ranks skills presented while skiing through various courses such as jumps, rails, tables, boxes, and waves. Players who made it to the finals will perform in the first to third periods and determine the color of the medal with the highest score.

Even after falling in the first period of the preliminary round, Gu I-ling showed perfect performance in the second period, advancing to the final round as the second overall, but he fell once again and left a regret.

In the first period, he ranked first with 86.58 points, but in the second period, he fell and scored only 23 points. Switzerland's Mathilde Gremud was pushed to second place with 86.96 points in the second period.

In the third period, he also slipped and fell on an obstacle and scored 1.65 points, but he eventually had to settle for a silver medal.

It is Guai-ling who had heavy shoulders. According to Reuters, Guai-ling said after winning the silver medal, "I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the two countries." Although he was born in the U.S., he played for the Chinese national team and even though he already won four medals at the Olympics, he brought up his situation where he is still not welcomed.

Gu Ai-ling has been playing as a player for the Chinese national team since 2019, but criticism against him has been infested not only in China but also in the United States recently.

Although he overcame the difficult times of fatal injuries and rehabilitation to confirm his participation in the Olympics, he is known to be making astronomical profits by serving as a member of the Chinese national team while maintaining U.S. citizenship, which sparked anger in China.

According to Forbes, a U.S. economic magazine, Gui-ling earned a total of $87.4 million (about 127.4 billion won) from 2022 to 2025.

Although he made a lot of money playing as a Chinese player and China does not allow dual citizenship, Gu Ai-ling said, "I'm an American when I'm in the United States, and I'm Chinese when I'm in China," adding, "I'm more angry with my attitude of avoiding an immediate answer."

Even ahead of the competition, criticism or sarcastic responses were mainly made in China rather than cheering. According to Sohu, Chinese netizens poured out raw accusatory comments such as "Stop reporting on opportunists," "Just an American who came to make money," and even "Get out of here."

However, when China received a silver medal with its outstanding performance on the day, the atmosphere quickly turned around. Some Internet users still responded cynically to articles about winning silver medals by Beijing News and Sina Sports, such as "I'm not interested" and "Go away," but most of them responded differently.

"It's more surprising that it's the weakest event" and "It's already great just for that." He criticized him in the past for "forgiveness," but he also responded that he changed his mind through this game.

Guai-ling will also compete in slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe at this tournament. As the main event, which won the gold medal side by side at the last Olympics, is still left, stronger support is expected to pour out for him in China.

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*This content was translated by AI.