About Eileen Gu, Chinese-American Olympic Freestyle Skateboarder – NBC10 Philadelphia
One of the biggest stars in the Olympic stands in Beijing may have fans of both the United States and China.
Meet Eileen Gu, or Gu Ailing as she is known in the Chinese community. The San Francisco native will compete in several freestyle skiing events at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
However, she doesn’t compete for red, white, and blue. Gu is representing China at the 2022 Olympics instead of the United States. The 18-year-old has become extremely popular in China, as she is considered one of the favorites to win a gold medal in several events.
She’s about to win two golds at the 2021 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships in Aspen – one in the semifinals and the other in the snowboarding.
Where was Gu born?
This skier was born and raised in San Francisco to an American father and a Chinese mother.
Her mother made Gu go skiing, taking her to Lake Tahoe to learn how to ski when she was three years old. Gu’s mother skates on her own and wanted to take Gu with her to share her passion for the slopes.
Why is Gu competing with China?
In 2019, Gu decided to ask the International Ski Federation to change the country from the US to China.
She detailed the decision on her Instagram, citing the choice as an “extremely difficult decision”.
“I’m proud of my heritage, and also proud of my American upbringing,” Gu captioned the post. “The opportunity to inspire millions of young people where my mother was born, during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help promote the sport I love.
“Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication and strengthen friendship between countries. If I can help inspire a young girl cross the line, my wish will come true.”
In which event did Gu compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics?
As a freestyle skier, Gu is competing in the women’s freestyle sledding, snowboarding, and snowboarding competitions.
Sunday night, Gu had qualified for the big aerial event, advancing to the final as a best score of 161.25 put her in fifth place, easily placing her in the top 12 previously. .
She’ll take gold on Tuesday, February 8 with the final runs set to begin at 9pm EST.
The women’s qualifying round begins Sunday, February 13 at 11:10 p.m. EST. with the final taking place the following night. Halfpipe begins on Thursday, February 17 and will end the following night.
What are Gu’s plans after the 2022 Winter Olympics?
The Olympian graduated from high school in two years, so her next step was college.
She has been accepted to her mother’s alma mater, Stanford University, and plans to attend in the fall of 2022.
But she is also a fashion model, having appeared on the cover of Elle and Vogue China. She is currently signed to the agency IMG Models.
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/beijing-winter-olympics/all-about-eileen-gu-the-chinese-american-olympic-freestyle-skier/3137003/ About Eileen Gu, Chinese-American Olympic Freestyle Skateboarder – NBC10 Philadelphia
