theSoulciologist
57655
1908
47
Eileen Gu, US freestyle skier, dispensing with a BS question with steez
Feb 19, 2026 3:10 AM
theSoulciologist
57655
1908
47
Eileen Gu, US freestyle skier, dispensing with a BS question with steez
nolzvader
Seen athletes go both ways with silver. Perhaps the question could have been asked better, but likewise could’ve been answered better.
nolzvader
For example Michael Phelps always comes across in a very classy way even while having won significant amounts of medals.
JoeyJoJoJrShabadoo7
You wrote "US freestyle skier", but she has represented China at all her Olympics and you can see the China flag here too.
ignotoCiResto
look, I'm an european, mostly whitish (I'm italian so usa people call me nig*er) male but I would switch to china instead of rapresenting the USA as a female nowday.
GubmentCheez
She only represented US in the 2018-2019 season in France and Italy
SilverFoxChaser
Ya know. The best part of this is she lifted up her fellow competitors rather than punch down on them. Good for her.
dripstone
unfortunately to some in the US she's seen as a looser because she didn't get the gold. That's the sad part.
DimwitF
Even GOING to the Olympics means you're one of the best in the world at what you do. And second place at it? Yeah I'd be happy with that too.
orp0piru
*cough* Raygun
DimwitF
Hey, there are outliers, what can I say
crateo
Not really. It means you are amongst the best of your country.
stonebrood
not even. just well represented in your country
LordHosk
You don't just have to be the best in your country, you also have to qualify on the international stage before you can compete in the Olympics.
the best ski jumper in Tuvalu wouldn't just get to go because they were better than the other 10,000 people there at ski-jumping.
There is a reason why every nation doesn't send 200 athletes to every games, and its not because they couldn't afford plane tickets.
DimwitF
Which is...a part of the world!
aristera
So that Australian breakdancer in the last Olympics was one of the best in the world?
DimwitF
Better than me. Probably better than you. But that's not what the post is about.
BDD85
My dude, there's been swimmers competing in swimming that almost drowned because they could not swim well enough to make it through the heat. There's been skiers that could barely stay upright on skis.. Being in the olympics does not guarantee any sort of skill, it just meant you were chosen to represent your nation.
In MOST cases, these are highly skilled athletes.. But that's not what you said.
NotSoFastener
She was one of the best at gaming the system, but, alas, that wasn't the medal she tried to get.
sundaymondayhippyday
We still speak in awe,
In hushed tones of the majesty of The RayGun!
Before and after The RayGun! how many of you even know 1 breakdancer?
After The RayGun!
There is ONLY THE RAY GUN!
ruferto
Dang, you can tell that question hurt her a little
htapoicoS
It's her laugh. Didn't feel quite real to me
mijour1
Eileen Gu is competing for China at Olympics not the Us
Snezko
the Chinese flag on the (right for us, left for her) jacket also kinda gives it away, they usually don't have a country flag on their upper left chest outfit if it's not the country they're representing if i'm not mistaken.
reapersaurus
Yeah, this is a clear astroturfing attempt to make Eileen Gu out to be anything other than a selfish, greedy, opportunistic person who stabbed the country that raised her in the back while taking millions from Chinese corporations while simultaneously lying to every side about pretty much everything.
iquestionthepinappleeveryday
Is she still the most medal winning athlete in her sport? Cause it sounds like it.
EscalatorCongestion
She's a professional athlete and China pays the best ... Capitalism for me but not for thee..? Everything is for sale to the highest bidder in America (everything). Don't hate the playa
Bananabeanie
Weird yap but ok.
MantisTobagganMD
I am curious on your thoughts regarding Lucas Pinheiro Braathen.
ignotoCiResto
dont bother. the fucker is using a throwaway account bought somewhere. block it and ignore the ramble.
spacecowboyein
People love her over there. She's a multi-millionaire, mostly from her endorsements and advertising deals in China.
BaldShaun
So she got the gold in the bag, if not around her neck.
6Oh4
She's good in that sport, China likes to show off, so yeah she's gonna get paid just switching to representing China.
BaldShaun
Ah, that explains why her family name, Gu, is first on her name tag.
sleete
She's a SF native going to school in Standford. She sold out and is reping China. I'd have more respect for her if she were repping any other Asian country.
caspere
Shut up you MAGA twerp. It's dorks like you that make her feel very unwelcome and disrespected in this country. Cows go where the grass is, talented people go where they are respected. The US doesn't respect anyone.
sleete
Ya sure. I'm maga for calling her out on reping a country my own family immigrated from to avoid their repressive regime.
revasseur
She's half Chinese and speaks Mandarin, why would she represent any other Asian country?
sleete
Let's see... What other country speaks Mandarin? Taiwan or Singapore perhaps.
thornus67
Stanford. And she has dual citizenship with China and spent significant time there growing up.
sleete
Swipe fail.
China doesn't allow for dual citizenship. They would normally require her to renounce her US citizenship when she got her Chinese one.
SciFiGuy2018
Go Girl!
4dhzm4ytkx127001
She got emotional and walked right into the bait he set for her. With one question they got their clip and got people talking and reacting about it.
sheeeiit
She could've just said two silvers gained.
TheFastpaws
I wouldn't have been as nice as her.
4dhzm4ytkx127001
What about the question do you think is offensive? Haven’t you seen many examples of athletes being disappointed with 2nd place? Do you think asking an athlete if they are disappointed is unethical?
RogueLanguageModel
idk, really weird post, comment section is full of chinese bots or something
timecookie
I think it's a legitimate question. One doesn't get to the top without heavy sacrifice in their life and silver hitting hard on competitors isn't unheard of.
SayonaraSally
Its a totally reasonable question. There are people out there that want gold and nothing else, there are people who would be happy with the silver. He's just politely asking what her perspective is.
4dhzm4ytkx127001
Honestly, her answer makes her seem a bit insecure about the whole thing.
It’s a valid question too. Many athletes are pissed to earn even silver and have made big shows about it. I didn’t hear him trying to belittle her.
Not a classy response
RuBisCO1
From what I have read, she is not universally liked in China. She is seen as a privileged elite, with VPN access to the internet that most Chinese nationals are not allowed. There is also a high likelihood that she still holds U.S. citizenship and may effectively be a dual citizen, which is generally not permitted in China, unless one is wealthy and able to grease the right bureaucrats. She is estimated to be worth over $50 million.
MadamPuddifoot
She's a us free skier wearing a China coat?
Snooj
Also would have accepted "that's a dumb question. Next."
TELunus
I kinda like the laughing in his face though, that was a nice touch
Snooj
Yes and no. The problem with people like that is they enjoy being laughed at because it means they have confirmation that their needling was successful.
katziewolf
She's not humble at all smh
IliveIdyeIliveagain
I agree. Top three athletes in any sports have almost same skills, power, stamina physical and mental strength etc. What makes the color of medal is timing or luck. Of cause there is exceptional but she has an excellent point IMO
Fargus57
Yep. When differences can be in hundredths of a second, a tenth of a point in subjective scoring, or millimeters in distance.
Axelxdisepic
When you're one of the best, just being in that group is pretty amazing. At that point there isn't much difference between first to second
mormonbatman
Feels like rage, not joy.
getadogupya
Stupid question.
xj4low
Glad she laughed at him and his stupid question.
torbtom
No it isn’t. This is a relatively common question, and a point often raised by athletes without being prompted. Especially to the top ones - if anything, the mere asking it is a acknowledgment of her skill.
Etereo
Normal question
getadogupya
Yes.
madelinewuntch
Why? Half the athletes at the top level are never satisfied with themselves. For them it's kind of even a good question because they realize how ridiculous it's not to celebrate second.
getadogupya
Because it encourages that type of thinking.
jimjong1
What's wrong with wanting to improve? Of courses even becoming an Olympic athlete in the first place is an incredible achievement that's limited to a very small number of people, and being the first one of them to accomplish something is even more of an achievement. To some of them, that's more than enough as she says, but to others, they see it as something to beat in four years.
MeisterKleister
It created a share-worthy clip though. So perhaps there's some craftiness there.
Tjitso
Maybe, but sports reporters are known for asking stupid questions which have often been asked many times before. So I bet she took some time to work on a good response to a question she knew was going to be asked.
choppedliveraldente
How many questions can you really ask about sports? You need on air filler. All sports interviews are like this.
theSoulciologist
Journalists are deeply mistrusted at this point in time. People wonder why there's so much distrust in institutions, it's because of daily cunts like this bloke clocking in and out, discrediting media
RogueLanguageModel
chinese bot?
4dhzm4ytkx127001
Wow you are reading REALLY deeply into the question. We’ve seen many cases of athletes being quite unhappy with second place. He was just asking her if she also was.
StormCrowMith
I didnt sense any maliciousness behind the question, it felt more of a probe to see if she sees it as a glass half empty kinda thing.
4dhzm4ytkx127001
Exactly. We’ve seen many silver medal tantrums so it’s a pretty valid question.
CapnNeckbeard
Agreed, but it was a stupid question anyway
4dhzm4ytkx127001
Why? Asking an athlete about their philosophy?
NightfallEverdark
It was a douche-y way of asking the question. "How do you feel about your performance as compared to [insert gold medal winner here]?" "If you could have changed anything about your run, what would it have been?" "Can you tell us your philosophy coming into these games and has anything changed now that you have finished?" Literally any of these would be less condescending questions.
dracklen
I agree, though asking about a players philosophy may also be seen as a bit pretentious.
bluemyles
??? At worst its just a slightly overwrought way to ask 'are you satisfied with your performance'. Your examples are way more pretentious that the one actually used lol.
judgementryu
People really like giving dickhead journalists the benefit of the doubt for some reason xD not sure why. This type of negative lines of question happens so often and there's no good reason for it.
4dhzm4ytkx127001
You are making all of that up lol. How can you be sure that’s what he meant?
Chronk
It's a great question. He was implying anything. It was a question that had the potential for a heartfelt, personal response. I guarantee you people watching at home were curious to hear her answer. That's the whole point of an interviewing question.
KyleZombie
Only lovers ask questions like that. Way to tell on yourself.
Chronk
I am, in fact, a lover.
KyleZombie
Lol. The implication that anything other than a gold medal makes one a loser shows that you've never accomplished anything in your life.
Chronk
Well, you'll be embarrassed to know I got a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut for reading books in elementary school once, so I've definitely accomplished plenty, buddy.
Chronk
Dammit. "wasn't" implying anything
jaydeedoubleyou
It was lazy.
cheeriossuckbecause7
Bet that guy cried himself to sleep, that night. She kicked him right in the nadgers, while smiling to his face.
cgt9803
+1 for nadgers, I learned a new word
Wonderwhim
I hope so, that was such an asshole thing to ask
IceWeaselX
...on the international stage, to boot!
CptJohnYossarian
Only if he recognised that he was being called a dipshit. TBH (without having seen the rest of the interaction) it might have wooshed over his dipshit head.
phalanxausage
He may not have gotten it at the moment but I can guarantee you all of his co-workers and peers in the profession got it and will not let him forget.
4dhzm4ytkx127001
He exactly succeeded in his job as a journalist to extract a report-able reaction from an athlete. She walked right into it.
4dhzm4ytkx127001
lol he asked a fairly banal question and she got emotional for no reason. Also his question created a viral moment (kind of his job). So I’d assume he’s quite pleased with himself.
jaydeedoubleyou
You're giving this twit way too much credit for asking such an uninspired, prosaic question. Asking an athlete if they are happy with second place is widely considered a highly pedestrian, cliché, often lazy question in sports journalism. It assumes failure by operating on the "if you're not first, you're last" mentality, disregarding the years of training required to even compete, let alone win a silver medal.
jaydeedoubleyou
It also lacks nuance and ignores the context of the event while also overlooking the immense achievement of actually reaching the podium, particularly in elite competitions like the Olympics.
cheeriossuckbecause7
That's a... way of looking at it, certainly. Ignorant, dismissive and clueless, but nonetheless a way of looking at it.
ADDGirl
He asked a question literally asking about her feelings. You're then saying that she should not have told him how she felt?
And you do know that banal means obvious and boring, right? So she's literally on the world stage and she can't laugh at a guy asking an obvious and boring question?
CatShadowleaf
Got emotional? She laughed at him. Men have killed women for laughing at them.
mikeatike
Humor is an emotion. A quite justified one in this case. Nothing pisses off an incel more than a woman laughing at them.
4dhzm4ytkx127001
She expresses emotion so yes she got emotional. Now you’re being emotional too.
Why in the world are you bringing violence into this discussion? Violence against women is a global problem but this has nothing to do with any of that. Seems like you’re just being as dramatic as possible in order to avoid logic in the discussion.
mikeatike
That's quite an opinion Mr. No Posting History Except for Incel Troll Comments.
CatShadowleaf
Text does not have tone. You're reading what you want to read.
elgambito
She just fucking laughed at the cunt.
Slackatak
Dude please tell you're from Australia! 🤣 such an aussie thing to say.
4dhzm4ytkx127001
Honestly she walked right into the bait he set for her. These journalists are trained at getting people to say stuff.
Bananabeanie
That's how questions work, you don't really need to train for that.
Well, most don't.
And I don't think "hurr durr im a tardy" is a great bait imho.
judgementryu
Absolutely not, sure this was bait. That much is clear, but with an eloquent response like that it 100% backfired.
BestofUwU
She laughed as if she was the highest paid athlete at the Olympics this year despite all the best NHL players being there also.
Bananabeanie
Weird and irrelevant point but you do you. There's more to sports than money.
hyptosis
Di.. did her pay come up here?
fickeroffick
Incel take. How dare a woman understand that she brought her A-game, and ends up believing in herself.
BestofUwU
She is a winter sports athlete getting paid more than ALL the PRO athletes in the NHL. This is a rare once in a lifetime accomplishment only made possible by her endorsements from China and NHL athletes allowed at the Olympics this year.
If you can't understand that HUGE accomplishment or are trying to downplay it for some weird female vs male argument only proves you know nothing about sportsball. Stop injecting female vs male arguments where it doesn't belong. Also I didn't insult your take.
Tarmaccian
The question is valid and insightful, though oddly phrased to avoid insult. I have no such requirement: “Do you have the perspective that you should have gotten golds, but lost them?”
Her answer is a roundabout “I’m proud of, and happy, with any level of achievement here”.
The answer shows she’s a true sportsperson. Other Olympians have had much more ego and much more anger about their perceived shortcomings, dwelling on mistakes that “cost them the gold”.
KyleZombie
Only a loser would ask a question like that. Way to tell on yourself.
WiiShaker
I mean, if she's already earned a gold, what else is there to do? I agree that she's a great sportswoman and shows that she loves what she does. Great example for anyone who competes. Winning isn't everything and shouldn't be the only thing you take pride in.
Tarmaccian
Exactly, and she even touched on that. Expectations rise, and people assume she’ll get gold again. Some athletes take that to heart, and _they_ expect to get another gold. That’s less good.
StellarJay77
No the question is absolutely not valid. It's built around a premise of entitlement. It's a dig against her that implies that the only reason she didn't win those medals is because she performed poorly rather than understanding her best wasn't quite as good as someone else's best. We, as a society really need to stop tollerating this BS belief in entitlement, like when businesses say they "lost money". No they didn't "lose" anytning. They only didn't earn as much as they thought they would.
GloveFullaVaseline
I mean, I have to agree with this.
StellarJay77
And the downvotes prove that so many people do not understand how pervasive and toxic this mentality is in our culture. Imagine doing your best (which is objectively better than most everyone) and then being asked why that wasn't enough to win. Implying that it was a lapse in HER performance that caused the loss and not that someone else outperformed her in that moment by such a small amount that it's effectively a rounding error.
StellarJay77
To put a finger point on this, there are so many instances I can point to where people view the top performer as "dominating". As in so far ahead of the rest that if they lose it had to be their fault. At these levels that isn't a thing the vast majority of time. And even when that happens it is typically due to some unique odd advantage that has been figured out that won't last very long before others catch up.
idiotsonfire
That question reeks of jealousy and smear merchanting to me. "Please cry us a river about not getting gold, you must be so self-hating that you lost" is effectively what he said, he just said it politely.
KyleZombie
No. It's a clown question, bro.
eromitlab
I like her. She seems egotistical, but she can actually back it up.
[deleted]
[deleted]
stonecoldstevebuschemi
Church!
elgambito
She's emotionally intelligent enough to be able to self-assess her capability and knows within every fibre of her being that she's a GOAT, and she's proud of herself, she's not egotistical if it's accurate, its a total flex and the journo is a douche'
TheZerax
To be fair, being "Second best in the Olympics" is still "Better than EVERYONE except one person." Even if people think it's egotistical, she's earned the right to be, lol.
thejon
"it ain't bragging if you go out and do it"
bitemark
Yeah she's literally the best and he's like "how do you feel about losing?"
PorneliusHubertII
Ego is thinking your the best. She knows that she is doing her best and that that best is better than all but person who placed higher than she did.
NotSoFastener
This is a literal "do you know who I am" moment from the rare perspective of "because you fucking should."
spanky2177
Aint bragging if you can do it...
jaydeedoubleyou
I think some are confusing ego with confidence. They are two distinct, entirely different traits. Confidence is an internal, self-assured, secure belief in ones abilities and self worth. Ego is driven by insecurity and a need for external validation, superiority, and self-importance. This young lady is dripping with self-confidence. And rightly so. Not only is she tearing it up on the slopes, she's also wicked smaht. I read that she scored a 1580 on her SATs... That's smahhht! Wicked even.
Fuckimgurcunts
Seems down to snow to me.
CyberHexx
It's only ego if there isn't skill in the background.
joepineapplesindrag
*ski
TheGrumpyOldTroll
and all the hardware 🥈🥈+++++
sparmek
I recommend looking up the difference between confidence and arrogance
StellarJay77
Wow. People really are missing precisely why this isn't ego or arrogance speaking here. This is a person who understands that she is not entitled to those medals. She knows she cannot lose something that she hasn't earned. The entire premise of his question is a subtle dig surrounding entitlement, implying that the only reason she didn't win them was due to her not performing well. Businesses pull this shit all the time when they say they "lost money". She knows her best wasn't enough to win.
Colopty
Definitely doesn't seem egotistical, just self-assured.
TheFunGuyinOz
Thats not ego, thats pride! Thats recognition that what she set out to DO, she has done.
She is confident, strong and fully aware that she is far above the norm.
Not ego. Not vanity. Not narcissiscm, just cold fact self awareness
neverminded
Honestly, it is just the right answer to this bs question.
Septcanmat
I also would have accepted an emphatic “go fuck yourself” but her answer was much more graceful.
dootdootiamgroot
U think that's called, confidence or something like that. I may be mispronounced it.
idiotsonfire
She's speaking truth to power. That's not ego, that's reality. She's self assessing, she's aware of how she placed, and she's not upset about that. That is the opposite of egotistical. Olympians are typically the most grounded athletes alive. I met Anita Nall at a swim camp when I was a kid, and she radiated sportsmanship with every level. If there was any ego there, I sure as shit couldn't see it then, and don't see it with what I can recall.
velcrosnake
You probably don't get to that level of competition without some ego.
boevis
LOTS of athletes, and other celebrities, would have responded "Does anyone else have a question that isn't stupid?" Because his question was entirely designed to shame her, not to actually learn anything.
theSoulciologist
TWO Olympic medals! It's like Ilona Maher when asked if she gets imposter syndrome. She says fuck no, because she has Olympic medals that say she EARNED every ounce of that confidence
Ohdearthesearemymonkeys
Doesn’t she have five?
crateo
She has a healthy pride and that's a good thing.
zeebeez13
Practically alll elite athletes are egotistical - they have to believe they are the best in order to BE the best...
jaydeedoubleyou
And you've gleaned this little morsel of insight from...what? Shark Tank reruns maybe?
zeebeez13
How'd you guess? You're sharp.
MikesMakery
Well she is a skiier. The pros are usually very wealthy and very uppity.
imakebuns
It's not ego when you ARE the most decorated female skier in history. Now if I said that shit...everyone would laugh. She has every right to blast and be proud!
captainnewbi
It was actually a very humble answer while also shaming the questioner
chunkstyle
Being one of the absolute best in the world, if not THE best, and saying essentially "I'm one of the best in the world, if not THE best" isn't egotistical, it's demonstrable.
raknor88
It's only egotistical because an asshole asked an asshole question.
BestofUwU
Her ego might be from her paycheck. Eileen Gu is the highest paid athlete at the Winter Olympics(as a freestyle skier!?) despite there being NHL players allowed in the Olympics this year. Not just any NHL players, the highest paid ones, more than Auston Matthews(USA), Nathan MacKinnon(CAN), and Leon Draisaitl(GER), with endorsements.
homoerection
That is not egoism.
IhopeUgetwhatUvoted4
She sported so hard everyone was healed and gained intelligence with empathy. Or, this is a massive waste of resources and ment to distract from what the rich are doing... sports are suppose to be done locally for exercise but here we are.
MyProfileIsIrrelevant
Exercising and sports arent your enemy. They also don't have these arbitrary restrictions like you're trying to claim.
sundaymondayhippyday
You can still exercise
EstoyPoopis
"sports are supposed to be done locally and for excercise".
Since fucking when. The first Olympics were in 776 fucking B. C. They were held in Olimpiad so I guess they were local? *eyeroll*. And here's the kicker, anybody and their dogs can still do it locally and for excersice!! WoW.
idiotsonfire
You should still exercise, bro.
eastend666
Going by this alone, I wouldn't call her egotistical.
TheFoodBaby
She's egotistical enough to get paid millions of dollars under the table to represent China and possibly has a dual citizenship which China doesn't allow, so she's not very popular both in the US where she's seen as a traitor and in China because her status makes her an exception to their law.
WholeWheatBunnyHugger
And what tarot reading are you basing these assessments on?
Jyx123
Having looked at her wiki because I noticed the posts description titling her US skier (which she certainly has the english for) while wearing the Chinese uniform:
Born in the US and to an American parent she would presumably be eligible for US citizenship and playing for china she can be presumed to have Chinese. She could have renounced her US nationality of course, this is just from a glance.
Certainly no comment from me regarding the money though.
doctorgreenthum
You think china didn’t try to get her to renounce USA. She refused and they paid her anyway. Frankly she’s extremely mature and measured having experienced racism in both countries
OneBananaForSale
Somehow you make it sound like China is a worse regime than the USA. Power to her and who cares about what people are made to feel by these regimes
Nellisir
What a weird, small, shallow little person you are.
torokunai
ah I detected a Chappelle-like "I'm getting PAID either way bitch" from her so that tracks.
Lassannn
If you speak the truth, it's not egotistical. It's just fact.
4Astaroth
https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1bXkwdnlxbWU5d3gxMWRubDhwdTRveHI3dDkzOXV2czUxdmt1b2s4NyZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/3o7btQDFlvGcv8PXt6/200w.webp
Bigblackdick69
Confidence with humility is my favorite vibe and she has it.
PineappleLoopsBroether
Egotistical? Holy shit that’s so stupid, this is one of those things where people would only say that because she’s a woman. That dude asked her a trashy question, she’s a fuckin Olympian. She could have straight up hurt his feelings and stripped him emotionally naked in front of tv cameras and didn’t.
ThatuldoPig
Nah, if that was a dude, that statement would have come off as egotistical as well. Someone can be right in their statement, but the way in which they make it can affect your perception about them. The question doesn't seem out of line. Especially to someone that has won before. Some athletes do have a perception of "if you're not 1st you're last" the response seemed a bit overly defensive
Imademyselfsquirtle
Someone who has won. That is the point that fuck face reportee has never won.
mcstreetz
I can see the point of the question. Since she had 3 silvers, I think your goal would be the gold at that point so would it feel like losing the next 2 times trying to get the gold? I think it's a totally reasonable question. I really don't see how that makes him a bad person? Sort of a "Do you see the glass half full or half empty?" type question.
BoobJiggle
Born in the US, went to Stanford, competes for China. I'm .. confused.
omfgchoeil0
Sometimes the heart beats just as much for their other nation, the same way you lost the best athlete in the world right now to Sweden
Aefinn
BoobJiggle
Honestly I kind of figured it was something like that, I just didn't want to sound like an asshole by assuming
NickRivieraMD
It's her life's work, up to this point. It makes exactly as much sense as anyone moving for the best job opportunity. More so even, since Olympians are more laser focused on that than the vast majority of people are on their jobs. It'd only be assholish if you tried to dunk on her over it.
LuciusNeedful
For athletes it is the chance to compete. I had a friend with dual citizenship who wanted to compete in track and field, after setting records in the ACC. The US team was already filled, so she joined the Netherlands team. It's not about nations. It is all about the sport. That is how the Olympic brings us together. Competition without conflict.
abidikgubidik
We have an entire administration that is trying to take away birthright citizenship so people like her never become a US citizen. People who were born in the US like her are constantly being told to "go back to where they came from". How is her choice confusing? While I may not have made that same choice, I for sure understand it.
dqniel
She made the decision while Biden was president. Not that it matters--plenty of athletes compete for countries that aren't their place of birth, but rather their ancestry. I don't really care what country she competes for, but let's not pretend it's because of Trump's stupid thoughts on birthright citizenship.
She's doing it because of a combination of money and ancestry.
GroverKerr
Because China is far worse, and you have to be unimaginably ignorant to even compare it to the US? I guess her maternal family being ethnically Han and her grandfather being a important member of the CCP probably helps grease the wheels for her in such a genocidal and corrupt regime.
LuveBunny
How many Chinese have been shot in the face by ICE agents? How many school shootings have they had this year?
GroverKerr
How many Uyghurs have been forced into slavery in the US?
fickeroffick
Can't enslave anyone ejected.
tsubus
have you not seen the US lately?
vegangreen
I don't think it was that bad of a question. She could have answered it in much better faith and without all the ego play. Interesting that she competes for China, because that was a very American way to take, and answer, that question.
exegimonumentum
She can answer anyway she wants cause she earned the medal. It's a free world and she can compete for whatever country gives her the best opportunity.
Callipygius
Because she's America's but accepted millions of dollars and an otherwise illegal dual citizenship with China to compete for China instead of the USA
baconandmorebacon
She didn't even shoot him. Doesn't seem very American to me.
4dhzm4ytkx127001
100% correct. You can see the lack of media training. It was a question that did not have the value attached to it that she thought it did. She could have taken it any direction but she got a bit emotional about it.
Made her seem a bit insecure about the whole thing imo.
hyptosis
Yeah she seems crazy insecure to me lol /s
4dhzm4ytkx127001
Being tense and defensive while “laughing” does not portray confidence
hyptosis
Winterous
It's not really a BS question. Her answer can effectively be boiled down to "two silvers gained".
StellarJay77
It absolutely is a BS question. Why do we as a society tolerate this entitlement crap? The question implies that the only reason she "lost" the golds is because she performed poorly. The reporter assumed (incorrectly) that she feels entitled to those medals. She knows that her best wasn't as good as someone else's best in that moment to earn the gold and that she can't "lose" something she didn't earn to begin with. Businesses pull this same BS when they say they "lost money".
SayonaraSally
So if I ask you if you like red or blue more am I implying you like the color red more, or like the color blue more?
StellarJay77
What? How difficult is it to understand that the premise of his question is built on the idea that if she tried her best she would have won gold and that because she didn't win gold she must not have tried her best instead of understanding (like she so eloquently puts it) that they all did their best and someone outperformed her in that moment?
Winterous
You don't have to feel entitled to expect an outcome.
StellarJay77
You do if the premise is that you weren't doing your best and lost but still expected to win. It is rooted in the idea that many have that the top performer "dominates" their respective sport, as in so far ahead the only reason they could have lost is of they weren't trying.
4dhzm4ytkx127001
Where are you getting all of that? We see athletes have tantrums all the time from coming in second or third.
He was simply asking her how she felt with her result (his job as a journalist, to get a story)
StellarJay77
Because it is based in a feeling of entitlement. This woman understands that. The reporter does not understand that because he assumed she felt entitled to the gold like he would in her position. It's such a pervasive and toxic ideology though in our culture that so many people (shown by the downvoates) really can't see it. Imagine doing your best (which is objectively better than most everyone) and being asked why that wasn't enough to win. Implying that it was a lapse in HER performance, not >
StellarJay77
>that someone else outperformed her at the highest level of the sport in that moment. The top 3 in any Olympic event perform at such a high level that they are separated by a margin of error so small that it's effectively a dice roll of randomness on who wins and who loses.
4dhzm4ytkx127001
Some points you make are interesting but you are so far out of left field talking about what the reporter does or doesn’t understand. You are making up SO much of this in your head it’s honestly concerning.
The reporters job is to get words out of the athlete. He did that. If he was a woman her job would still be the same. That’s all that’s happening here.
And it doesn’t have to be about entitlement. Athletes are quite often upset that they didn’t win gold. Don’t pretend you know why
StellarJay77
And again, you're being blinded by the idea that many have regarding top performers in sport. It is a culturally accepted idea that some have thinking the top performer "dominates" their sport. As in they are so far ahead that the only way they could lose is because of it being their own fault for not performing well. Saying she "lost gold medals" presumes that there's an expectation that if she performed her best then she would receive them. Therefore she must have not performed her best. That>
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
People used to call me arrogant when I told them I'm better at this than you, but sometimes it's just the truth.
powwerbottom
https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1cXJ6c24xNHZhMGZ0d2JtenF2OXFlM294aGh0aHRyZ29oN2lwMDA3YiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/hpSOjkcvhDgbv9p92R/200w.webp
philmoregraves
Fuckkkkkk ppl been beating me to the good ones
Willowofwisp
Sometimes you have every right to sit on the high horse. I was asked to be a first aid attendant at my workplace, and was sent to an OFA-2. Turns out, it was a lower standard of care than I'd been doing with my other first aid training, the EMR. It was a breeze, and I didn't attend any of the extra study sessions for the course, and opted to forgo my in-class practice time to allow the less experienced people have more. There was one lady who I just could not convince to practice more. 1/2
Willowofwisp
She spent most of her time scrutinizing me and trying to get me to practice more. I told her, "I feel like I've got a pretty good handle on this, which is why I'm letting other people practice." She failed the class, I got 100%, and the two other people who let me help them both passed as well. Sucks to suck.
Willowofwisp
It's worth noting that the instructor specifically asked each of us what our previous experience in first aid was, and split us into three groups, each with one experienced first-aider and three first-timers.
floatationman
So the instructor implicitly and explicitly told all three that you were the group mentor and she just ignored that? That's on her.
Willowofwisp
Yep. And I had to sit and watch silently as she killed her patient in her final exam.
theSoulciologist
Sports is the quantifiable action of axiologically measuring who is better. She is a better skier than everyone I the comments
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
Absolutely, I was exceptional in a very objective trade.
I can say with all honesty I'm from an exceptionally genetically physically superior family of short ass Polynesians crossed with an exceptionally mentally talented Scots degenerate.
I got only some of the brains of my dad, all of the beauty of my Mom and the physique of my tūpuna tāne.
My whanau excels, in my immediate family there are three multi millionaires and five representative sports people.
All of my tamariki exceed me.
cambam3000
Wow. Very very few of those were objective lol
unluckyandbored
It's not bragging if you can do it.
BestofUwU
The smile you crack when you make more money as a freestyle skier than EVERYONE, including every NHL player that was allowed to come to the Olympics this year.
lozamoyski
Hold on. Let's distinguish between the factual and the attitude toward the factual. If you have a quality X, and you know you have that quality, then acknowledging that quality isn't arrogance. Humility is actually just frank truthfulness, not false modesty. But you can also overvalue the factual and what it means. And that can make you arrogant.
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
None of my employers ever felt they wanted to lose me.
Even ones that I didn't get on with.
The conversation comes up at times.
Like when I asked for a raise and my manager lost his temper and told me I'm not worth what the company pays me already.
What do you say to that? I picked a piece of paper off his desk started to resign, he wouldn't take the resignation so I took it to his boss.
Got the raise and an apology.
I got a raise every year or I changed companies and got substantial ones.
smellsmiketeenspirit
Are you the kind to say you are brutally honest ? Because honesty without kindness is just brutality. You can be better than others and not being an asshole about it. So what was it ?
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
Me?
I'm a New Zealander, I'm like a shorter Steven Adams, I think most kiwi just want to get along but if someone wants to start shih we aren't going to lay down.
I was talking about standing up to guys I worked with that questioned why I was paid more and given promotions as a much younger man.
Unprovoked I'm a company man and definitely a team player.
Grew up in a family company watching my parents find wages for 5 guys and sometimes go without themselves affects how you see business.
DataKooma
Was this before or after quantifying it in some way? Proving it somehow?
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
Both?
I worked a lot of jobs in two different countries, they both had compulsory unionism and fixed wages, negotiated by the unions with industry, to get paid more you had to either work overtime or qualify for a higher rate.
I jumped rates because I am just better. ( Well not now, I'm almost dirtside).
Guys used to complain that I got the best company car and the corner office while they were doing the job I left.
Think of a six foot and not quite as smart Stephen Adams with no ta Moko.
DataKooma
Both? Because before proving it in anyway it's something a lot of people with too much bravado do just to bullshit. Which, I think, is why people quite often don't like when other people do it to them. And doing it after it being already proven is often seen as in poor taste. Of course there are situation where it's deserved and that becomes quite subjective.
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
I wasn't stopping people in the street.
I was telling guys complaining that I got a new company car while they were driving the same car for five years why I got the car, when the government set the wage rate there was no way to reward especially productive staff so a new car was used, or a side kick to crawl under buildings or into ceilings.
I got move from an entry level job to a very complex one and put on night shift which was double time with allowances so very lucrative.
DataKooma
Ah, ok, got it. So you were being bluntly uncouth about it before it being proven in any way. Thanks for clearing it up!
HandoB4Javert
vladinator
I just hate myself for being worse, instead of blaming others.
blaghart
The thing is, people think arrogance is anything that makes them feel inferior, rather than confidence in skills a person lacks. People who are legitimately the best at what they do in a competition aren't arrogant, such as Lewis Hamilton
StellarJay77
This is kind of the opposite of arrogance though. She doesn't feel entitled to those medals like the reporter thought and so she can't lose something she didn't earn. The question is a subtle dig meaning that the only reason she could have not won them was due to her performing poorly which is clearly not the case. That feeling of entitlement is a huge problem in our society, not just in sports. Businesses do the same shit all the time when they say they "lost money".
erinaceus
^^^this
StellarJay77
Let me reiterate here as the exact same comment in other threads is being downvoted. So many seem to not be able to undersrand... this is a cultural bias. It has been made acceptable for many to believe that the top performer "dominates" their respective sport. Meaning that they are so far ahead that not winning means they didn't try hard enough. The reporter in all likelihood isn't consciously aware of implication his question implies, it's still there though as her answer to it points out.
Zelor42
The thing is to not be a dick about it. Someone asks your honest opinion and you are better at a certain task? Go ahead. Someone obviously struggles with something and your help will be appreciated? Also go ahead. But don't go around boasting that you are better at something, just because. That's just being arrogant. Context matters.
Avilan1972
100% this.
mychesthairlookslikeacatsass
I learned from my very successful friends that you can be arrogant and win and that’s ok, but if you want people to see you as a leader or invest their time/money with you, you have to control your emotions.
Zelor42
I'd again say it depends on the context. For me, it's almost never okay to be arrogant about a win. Be proud instead. One can be proud of one's own achievements, without being arrogant, without bragging and without dunking on everyone else. But it takes a bit of self-control and character.
CBadger
Agreed completely. People at work often tell me "Wow you made that look so easy!" because I'm basically my own department, I'm the only person at my organization with a bunch of the skills that I have. I could be arrogant about it, or I can say "Oh thanks, I've been doing this since I was 12, so I've had some practice!" I know I've made the same mistakes they make, I've just had time to learn.
Arrogance is an attitude, it has very little to do with actual skill.
RemanentSky
It remains arrogant to take pride in that or to think it's worth mentioning other than to explain planning decisions or actions taken. "Here, let me intubate, I've got more experience and this is time sensitive" is very different from "I'm better at airway than you" over coffee. It's important we acknowledge that differences in skill, like everything else in life, boil down to luck and circumstance; having had more opportunity to put in the work to get better at something is just circumstance.
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
The original comment was just that people would call me arrogant when I told them I'm better at this than you.
There was no context but you can tell from the comment that I wasn't stopping people in the street.
Mostly it was people I worked with that question why I got treated better than they did.
Promotion over longer service, new work vehicle, higher wage.
My trade had a physical component and a mental one, I wasn't wasted on the donkey work and people would confront me about that.
Goldensands
Until you actually elaborate what your work was the likelihood that the thing you were "better at" was rimjobs for the boss is staggeringly high. Under capitalism, that is the overwhelming main criteria for corporate advancement.
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
I was a tradesman that specializes in fault-finding in fire systems and trained and qualified to work on more than 50 systems.
Talking about rimjobs is like that "every accusation is a confession" thing right?
Not judging, if you can get paid for doing shat you love knock yourself out goldensands.
Goldensands
Your nothing burger isn't convincing and the fact that I demonstrably struck a nerve is telling.
RemanentSky
Yup, I wasn't intending to imply your actions specifically were arrogant, given, as you said, no context suggesting such. Intent was to add my own perspective on when said comments are and aren't arrogant. No personal attack intended.
elgambito
People hate it. They hate it even more when you prove it to them, but they hate the first part too.
TheMostKink
But we also really love to see someone claim they're better, and then full on failing to do the thing.
LiarLiarPantsUntier
People really just like to hate.
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
Yeah me too.
jimhotep
Hate is easier; they like things that are easier, hence, it appears people like to hate when what they really are is afraid, and they have no mechanism to overcome it.
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
I got promoted over older people more than a few times in my life and they really fucking hated it, one old prick would put nails under my cars tyres two or three times a week.
elgambito
I GROW POWERFUL FROM YOUR BITTERNESS - LET ME BATHE IN YOUR TEARS
crateo
I decided to stop giving a fuck and tell it like it is: "Hey boss, it's my job to optimize or resources and I can do XXXXX much faster and better than YYYYY"
It is a matter of fact.
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
Others would counter that it's a matter of tact
crateo
They do, but the field where I grow my fucks is barren.
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
I am laying in my death bed looking back and I ate too much shit in my lifetime and didn't get biblical on the people that deserved it.
I had a tolerant nature and wanted to get along with people even though I was an intimidating person to look at.
The few times I got pushed too far are highlights in my memory.
Even the one where the directors of the company called me into work and one by one shook my hand before they fired me, they fu7king hated that client's guts. People suck.
Etherealvalentine
I hope it's not a literal death bed. I'm so sorry if so. Did you draw the crest that you recently posted?
Rubbishtheresnoway9peopleusetaniwhida
No dude it's actually Eds honest to God crest.
When I was a kid I routinely saw him in the neighborhood.
He was pretty old and I guess sick of being bothered by kids but he would grit his teeth and wave.
🤣
Etherealvalentine
Hahaha i honestly don't know who that is, or anything about him! How interesting! Sounds fun for you and the other children! I just liked the art very much, and also thought it funny and odd! Thank you for sharing!