Eileen Gu

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Eileen Gu
Gu Ailing (CHN) 2020.jpg
Personal information
Native name谷爱凌 (Gǔ Àilíng)
Full nameEileen Feng Gu[1][2]
Born (2003-09-03) September 3, 2003 (age 18)[3]
San Francisco, California, USA[4]
Sport
CountryChina China
SportFreestyle skiing
Event(s)
ClubBeijing Nanshan Ski Resort (since 2013)[5]
Medal record
Women's freestyle skiing
Representing  China
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 1 0
World Championships 2 0 1
Winter X Games 2 0 1
Winter Youth Olympics 2 1 0
Total 8 2 2
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Beijing Big air
Gold medal – first place 2022 Beijing Halfpipe
Silver medal – second place 2022 Beijing Slopestyle
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Aspen Halfpipe
Gold medal – first place 2021 Aspen Slopestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Aspen Big air
Winter X Games
Gold medal – first place 2021 Aspen Superpipe
Gold medal – first place 2021 Aspen Slopestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Aspen Big air
Winter Youth Olympics
Gold medal – first place 2020 Lausanne Big air
Gold medal – first place 2020 Lausanne Halfpipe
Silver medal – second place 2020 Lausanne Slopestyle
Ailing Eileen Gu
Simplified Chinese谷爱凌
Traditional Chinese谷愛凌

Eileen Gu (born September 3, 2003),[6] also known by her Chinese name Gu Ailing (Chinese: 谷爱凌), is an American-born freestyle skier, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and model. She has competed for China in halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air events since 2019.[7][8]

At age 18, Gu became the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing after winning gold medals in big air and halfpipe and a silver medal in slopestyle at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. She is the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a single Winter Olympics.[9]

Early life and education

Gu was born on September 3, 2003, in San Francisco, California, United States,[3] to a Chinese first-generation immigrant mother, Yan Gu (Chinese: 谷燕; pinyin: Gǔ Yàn), and an American father. Her mother raised her as a single parent.[10] A member of the short-track speed skating team and a ski coach, her mother attended Peking University for her undergraduate and master's degrees in chemical engineering.[11] She moved from China to the United States as a student in her twenties, enrolling at Auburn University and Rockefeller University. While attending the latter, she skied at Hunter Mountain in New York state; her passion for the sport deepened after she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, while she was earning an MBA at Stanford University.[12]

When Gu was young, her mother enrolled her in ski lessons at Lake Tahoe, reportedly so that her daughter could keep up with her. Her mother, as Gu put it, "accidentally created a pro skier."[13] Gu was raised by her mother and grandmother, and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and English.[14][15]

On March 1, 2021,[16] Gu wrote on her personal Sina Weibo page that she had been recognized as a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program as a January 2021 nominee from San Francisco University High School.[1] She was not awarded the scholarship,[17] and graduated early from secondary school.[18] In February 2022, The Washington Post reported that Gu was admitted to Stanford University,[19] an alma mater of her mother, and will begin studies after the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.[13][20]

Nationality

Gu competed for the United States at the 2018–19 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup. She has competed for China since June 2019 after requesting a change of nation with the International Ski Federation.[3][21][22][23] Her goal was to compete for China in the 2022 Winter Olympics.[23][24][25] She announced the change on Instagram, stating that through skiing she hopes "to help inspire millions of young people" in China and "to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations."[23][24]

Gu has declined to disclose her citizenship. China does not recognize dual citizenship, and the Chinese Consulate General in New York told the BBC that Gu would have to have been naturalized or gained permanent residency status in China to compete for its team.[26] The International Olympic Committee confirmed that the Chinese Olympic Committee had presented them with a copy of her Chinese passport as proof of Chinese nationality acquired in 2019.[27] There is no evidence that she has given up U.S. citizenship[28] and some evidence that she has not.[29] In interviews, Gu has said, "Nobody can deny I'm American, nobody can deny I'm Chinese,"[30] and "When I'm in the U.S., I'm American, but when I'm in China, I'm Chinese."[31][32]

Career

Her second run in the Women's Freeski Halfpipe Qualification at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics
Her first run at Women's Freeski Big Air Qualification, 2022 Olympics

In 2021, Gu became the first woman to land a forward double cork 1440.[33]

X Games

See also: X Games

At the 2021 Winter X Games, Gu won a bronze medal in Big Air and two gold medals in SuperPipe and Slopestyle, becoming the first rookie to win a gold medal in Women's Ski SuperPipe, the first rookie to medal in three events, and the first athlete representing China to win a gold medal at the X Games.[34][35][36]

World Championships

See also: FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships

Gu competed at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2021, winning two gold medals in Freeski Halfpipe and Freeski Slopestyle and a bronze medal in Freeski Big Air. Gu became the first freeskier to win two golds at the FIS Freeski World Championship.[37][38] She competed without poles for the first time due to a broken hand, having fractured a finger and tearing the UCL in her thumb.[39][40][41]

2022 Winter Olympics

See also: 2022 Winter Olympics

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Gu became the youngest gold medalist in freestyle skiing, winning the big air event.[42] Gu landed her first attempt at a double cork 1620, which she had never tried in competition.[43] She was the second woman to land the trick and the first woman to land a left-turn 1620;[44] Tess Ledeux first successfully completed a double cork 1620 on 21 January 2022 at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado [45] and landed it again in her first run of the big air final at the 2022 Winter Olympics.[46][47]

Gu won the silver medal in the slopestyle event.[48] She won a second gold medal in the women's freeski halfpipe competition, becoming the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a Winter Olympics.[49][9]

World Cup results

See also: FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup

Gu ended the 2021-2022 World Cup season with a perfect record in women's halfpipe, winning a crystal globe and becoming the first freestyle skier to win four consecutive World Cup competitions.[50][51]

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation.[52]

Representing Season Date Location Discipline Place
United States United States 2018–2019 January 12, 2019 France Font Romeu, France Slopestyle 2nd
January 27, 2019 Italy Seiser Alm, Italy Slopestyle 1st
China China 2019–2020 September 7, 2019 New Zealand Cardrona, New Zealand Halfpipe 2nd
February 14, 2020 Canada Calgary, Canada Halfpipe 1st
February 15, 2020 Canada Calgary, Canada Slopestyle 1st
2020–2021 November 21, 2020 Austria Stubai, Austria Slopestyle 3rd
2021–2022 December 4, 2021 United States Steamboat, United States Big Air 1st
December 10, 2021 United States Copper Mountain, United States Halfpipe 1st
December 30, 2021 Canada Calgary, Canada Halfpipe 1st
January 1, 2022 Canada Calgary, Canada Halfpipe 1st
January 8, 2022 United States Mammoth Mountain, United States Halfpipe 1st
January 9, 2022 United States Mammoth Mountain, United States Slopestyle 2nd

Results current through 1 February 2022.

Modeling and advertising

Gu is a model and is represented by IMG Models.[18][20] She has appeared on multiple magazine covers, including the Chinese editions of Elle, GQ, Marie Claire, and Vogue.[20][53] As of February 2022, Gu had been featured in campaigns for Fendi, Gucci,[20] IWC Schaffhausen,[54] Tiffany & Co., and Louis Vuitton.[18][20][54]

Gu's status as a leading sports star in China is reported to have earned her over US$30 million in endorsements and advertising contracts.[49][55][56]

Personal life

Gu was raised by her mother and maternal grandparents, and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and English.[14][57] She plays the piano as a hobby.[18]

Views

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Gu has spoken out against anti-Asian racism after the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings and the killing of Vicha Ratanapakdee.[15] She has described her own experience with anti-Asian racism, having endured a man screaming obscenities about "Asians infecting America" with COVID-19 at her and her grandmother in a shop.[15][58] Gu also supports the Black Lives Matter movement.[14][59] However, Gu has largely declined to comment on political topics involving China, notably on the country's human rights record.[60][61] Gu's agent Tom Yaps told The Economist that Gu's mother, Yan Gu, feared that "if [Eileen] participates in an article that has two paragraphs critical of China and human rights, that would put her in jeopardy over there. One thing and a career is ruined."[62]

See also

References

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  2. ^ "Eileen Gu – Portfolio". IMG Models. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Eileen Gu". Red Bull. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  4. ^ Roenigk, Alyssa (February 1, 2022). "Olympics 2022: Freeski star Eileen Gu's delicate balancing act between China and the U.S." ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "GU Ailing Eileen - Athlete Information - FIS Ski". FIS-ski.com. International Ski Federation. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  6. ^ "Ailing Eileen GU – People's Republic of China". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  7. ^ "谷爱凌为什么自称"青蛙公主"？原因找到了". Sina News (in Chinese (China)). Sina. February 8, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  8. ^ "18岁的谷爱凌，到底是一个怎样的存在？她的人生如何开挂？". Tencent News (in Chinese). Tencent. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Gan, Nectar. "China's Eileen Gu wins gold in freeski halfpipe to make Olympic history". CNN. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  10. ^ Branch, John (February 3, 2022). "Eileen Gu Is Trying to Soar Over the Geopolitical Divide". The New York Times.
  11. ^ "Winter Olympics: Chinese freestyle ski star Eileen Gu's mother gives advice to parents hoping to raise a champion". South China Morning Post. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
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  18. ^ a b c d Carpenter, Les (January 31, 2022). "Eileen Gu: Born and raised in America, skiing for China". WashingtonPost.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022. She also is a professional model, represented by one of the most prestigious agencies. Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. have built campaigns around her. Last year, she graduated early from acclaimed San Francisco University High School. In a few months, she will enroll at Stanford. She speaks both English and Mandarin and plays the piano. Her SAT score is reported to be 1580.
  19. ^ Murphy, Bryan (February 7, 2022). "All About Eileen Gu, the Chinese-American Olympic Freestyle Skier – NBC New York". NBC New York. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  20. ^ a b c d e Paul, Trinetra (January 25, 2022). "Everything You Should Know About Olympic Skier and Model Eileen Gu". LifestyleAsia.org. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022. Shining not just in sports, Gu excels in academics as well. She has received an offer from the globally renowned Stanford University, her mother's alma mater. However, the plans of starting school have to wait for the upcoming 2022 Olympic Games. Having faced negative comments for her American upbringing from the Asian community and championing a male-dominated sport, Gu is a strong advocate of gender equality and representation of women in sports. Besides dedicating her heart and soul to freeskiing, Gu is also quite the fashionista and has several brand endorsements and modelling assignments to her credit. Already featured in Forbes '30 under 30' in 2020, Gu became the youngest athlete to make it to the list at 17. Representing several international brands, like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, Gucci and Fendi, ... . She has contracts with the model agency IMG Models Worldwide and has already graced the cover of Vogue and Chinese Elle.
  21. ^ Shapiro, Bee (March 16, 2021). "The Freestyle Ski Star Eileen Gu Has a Warning About TikTok Diets". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
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  27. ^ "Olympic skier Eileen Gu sparks a debate about dual nationality". The Economist. February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022. The International Olympic Committee says that Ms Gu acquired Chinese nationality in 2019 and that China’s Olympic body produced a copy of her Chinese passport.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ Tang, Didi (January 26, 2022). "Winter Olympics: Meet Eileen Gu — the skier and model who is the face of Beijing 2022". The Times. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022. China does not recognise dual citizenship for those over 18 and Gu is yet to confirm if she's given up her US passport. There is no evidence that she has.
  29. ^ Larmer, Brook (February 3, 2022). "Cold warrior: why Eileen Gu ditched Team USA to ski for China". The Economist. Retrieved February 21, 2022. Her name has never appeared on the US Treasury Department’s list of expatriated individuals. In January 2021, she became a candidate for a US Presidential Scholars Programme that is open only to US citizens or permanent residents. Gu still spends far more time in America than in China, and will return to attend Stanford in the autumn.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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  42. ^ Brewer, Jerry (February 8, 2022). "Eileen Gu is an original, and the world is going to have to deal with it". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  43. ^ Diaz, Jaclyn (February 8, 2022). "Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu stuns with final big air trick and wins gold". NPR. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  44. ^ Reardon, Logan. "These 2022 Olympians Were the Biggest Breakout Stars of the Winter Games". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  45. ^ Bruton, Michelle. "Tess Ledeux Changed The Game For Female Freestyle Skiers Right Before The Olympics". Forbes. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
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  49. ^ a b Branch, John (February 18, 2022). "Eileen Gu wins gold in freeski halfpipe, earning her third medal in China". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
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  51. ^ Calvert, Sean. "Simply perfection as Eileen Gu takes home first crystal globe". Red Bull. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  52. ^ "GU Ailing Eileen - Athlete Information - Results". FIS. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  53. ^ "Cold warrior: why Eileen Gu ditched Team USA to ski for China | The Economist". webcache.googleusercontent.com. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  54. ^ a b FGR Stagg (January 28, 2022). "Eileen Gu is Now an Ambassador for IWC Schaffhausen Watches". FashionGoneRogue.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022. At 18-years-old, Eileen Gu has become the new ambassador for IWC Schaffhausen. The freestyle skier has appeared in campaigns for fashion brands like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. in the past year.
  55. ^ https://au.sports.yahoo.com/sports/winter-olympics-2022-42-million-truth-eileen-gu-furore-232629894.html
  56. ^ Wulfsohn, Joseph. "Bill Maher torches LeBron James, John Cena, Eileen Gu for 'kowtowing' to China". Fox News. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  57. ^ Larmer, Brook (February 3, 2022). "Cold warrior: why Eileen Gu ditched Team USA to ski for China". The Economist. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  58. ^ Yan, Alice (March 18, 2021). "Chinese-American skier Gu laments 'absurd' violence towards Asian-Americans". South China Morning Post. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  59. ^ McNicol, Andrew (March 18, 2021). "Eileen Gu Calls Out 'Domestic Terrorism' of Asian-Americans Amid Spike in Coronavirus-Related Violence—'Killing More Asian People Isn't Going to Kill the Virus'". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  60. ^ Branch, John (February 3, 2022). "Eileen Gu Is Trying to Soar Over the Geopolitical Divide". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  61. ^ "Eileen Gu: US-China tension is trickiest slope for Olympic free skier". BBC. February 7, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  62. ^ Larmer, Brook (February 3, 2022). "Cold warrior: why Eileen Gu ditched Team USA to ski for China". The Economist. Retrieved February 9, 2022.

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