ZHANGJIAKOU, China – Eileen Gu knows she skis better under pressure, but, try as she might, she couldn’t manufacture it herself.
Seeking her second medal at the Beijing Olympics, the 18-year-old struggled during her first two runs to put one down that would get her on the podium. But heading into her final slopestyle run at Genting Snow Park on Tuesday, sitting in eighth place was enough to do the trick.
Gu, who was born and raised in the United States but competes for her mother’s native China, put down a clean run that clinched silver, giving her a medal in each of her two events so far. Gu won big air’s Olympic debut last week and still has the halfpipe competition remaining later this week.
“Things didn’t go according to plan on the first two, and I just wanted to make it on the podium,” she said between bites of a bun she hurriedly ate before going to halfpipe training.
“The trifecta has always been my biggest goal. It’s definitely lofty, but I know it’s something I can do.”
Gu struggled in her first two runs, practically missing the second rail on her first run. She fell off the third rail on her second run.
Needing to put down a big run to get on the podium, Gu landed two 900s on the first and last jump and a double cork 1080 – or two off-axis flips with three spins – on the second jump.
It was not enough to catch Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud, who won gold by less than .35 points.
“I’m proud of myself to deal with pressure,” Gu said. “I…
