Freestyle skiing star and Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu was prepared to make her mark at the 2025 Winter X Games. Not having competed in 2023, Gu captured the Ski SuperPipe title in 2024 and fans expected the champion to defend her title this year. Unfortunately, despite making it to Aspen, the skier posted some disheartening news for fans on Instagram.

The 21-year-old took to Instagram to share a screenshot of a conversation where the athlete expressed concern about her extreme schedule and the effect it had on her health. “I’m being so fr (for real) when I say my ONLY goal this X Games is to make it out healthy,” wrote Gu. Unfortunately, she “failed that goal” suffering a fall during the Streetstyle event at Buttermilk.

“Had a rough time in Streetstyle finals today. Thank you for all the well wishes,” Eileen Gu continued in the consecutive stories she posted. However, what she revealed next wasn’t promising. “I’m okay but unable to walk at this point in time due to some really aggressive bruising on that last crash,” Gu informed after pulling out of the 2025 X Games.

The official 2025 X Games site reflected Gu’s final placing at the event as 4th. While it was a tragic end to what could have been her first X Games title defense, the skier feared for such an outcome even before the contest. “To be completely honest, my mental and physical tanks hit zero yesterday,” confessed the former champion, who said she had considered pulling out two nights ago.

The 12-hour training session for multiple events made the entire endeavor unsustainable. What’s more? The two-time world champion had just recovered from ‘five days of fever’ before taking on her grueling cumulative training sessions ahead of the X Games. Coincidentally, this isn’t the first time California-born Chinese skiing superstar had to withdraw from the X Games due to injury.

Ghosts of the past come back to haunt Eileen Gu at the X Games

While Gu did win the 2024 Ski SuperPipe event at the X Games, she wasn’t at 100%. Instead, the ski icon took “a heavy hit” to her hip during training and skied herself onto the podium while experiencing “unprecedented pain,” she wrote on social media. Maybe that’s why this year the Olympian’s goal was to make it out healthy. Yet, it may have ended up reminding her of 2023.

Eileen Gu was riding high after winning two Olympic golds in 2022 and planned to win at the 2023 X Games. However, just days ahead of the contest, Gu crashed, spraining her ACL, and MCL and sustaining bruising on the bone. Needless to say, the extensive serious injury prevented the 21-year-old from competing in the Winter X Games.

This year, 2018 Olympic gold medalist Cassie Sharpe picked up the Ski SuperPipe gold in Gu’s absence. The skiing icon also didn’t elaborate on how long it will take her to recover. However, the injury could spell trouble for her plans to represent China at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China, starting on February 7. Yet, Gu remains optimistic.

“I’ve ignored so many warning lights… Time to listen to the body and take a step back. Glad it’s not worse. Got lucky with the crash fr,” wrote Eileen Gu. Now the champion skier is focused on taking time to recover completely before clipping on the skis again.