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Eileen Gu

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Gu.

Eileen Gu
Personal information
Native name谷爱凌 (Gǔ Àilíng)
Full nameEileen Feng Gu[1][2]
Born (2003-09-03) September 3, 2003 (age 21)[3]
San Francisco, California, US[4]
Sport
CountryChina China
SportFreestyle skiing
Events
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
GU Ailing ("Eileen")
Simplified Chinese谷爱凌
Traditional Chinese谷愛凌
Literal meaningGǔ (Chinese surname of multiple origins) Love-Ice
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinGǔ Àilíng

Eileen Feng Gu (born September 3, 2003), also known by her Chinese name Gu Ailing (谷爱凌; Gǔ Àilíng; 'GU Love-Ice'), is a freestyle skier, Olympic gold medalist, and model. She has competed for China in halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air events since 2019.[6][7] Gu competed for the United States at the 2018–19 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup.

At age 18, Gu became the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing after winning gold medals in big air and halfpipe at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Early life and education

Gu was born on September 3, 2003, in San Francisco, California, United States,[3] to a Chinese-American mother, Yan Gu (Chinese: 谷燕; pinyin: Gǔ Yàn), and a White American father. Yan raised Gu as a single parent.[8] Her mother attended Peking University for her undergraduate and master's degrees in chemical engineering. Yan was a student athlete on the Peking University Women's Speed Skating team, and a skiing instructor.[9] Yan moved from China to the U.S. as a student in her twenties, enrolling at Auburn University and Rockefeller University. While attending the latter, Yan skied at Hunter Mountain in New York state; her passion for the sport deepened after relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area, while earning an MBA at Stanford University.

When Gu was young, Yan enrolled her daughter 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."[10] Gu was raised by her mother and grandmother, and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and English.[11][12]

On March 1, 2021,[13] 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,[14] and graduated early from secondary school.[15] In February 2022, The Washington Post reported that Gu was admitted to Stanford University,[16] an alma mater of her mother, and will begin studies after the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.[10][17]

Nationality

Born in the United States to an American father and first-generation immigrant mother from China, Gu has competed for China since June 2019 after requesting a change of nation with the International Ski Federation.[3][18][19][20] Her goal was to compete for China in the 2022 Winter Olympics.[20][21][22] In announcing the change, she said 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."[20][21]

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.[23] In interviews, Gu commented: "Nobody can deny I'm American, nobody can deny I'm Chinese."[24] She also said: "When I'm in the U.S., I'm American, but when I'm in China, I'm Chinese."[25][26]

Sports

Her first run at Women's Freeski Big Air Qualification, 2022

Gu participated at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2021, winning two gold medals in Freeski Halfpipe and Freeski Slopestyle. Gu became the first freeskier to win two golds at the FIS Freeski World Championship. She also won a bronze medal in Freeski Big Air.[27][28] She was also injured at the event with a broken hand.[29]

In 2021, Gu became the first woman to land a forward double cork 1440.[30]

2022 Beijing Olympics

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Gu became the youngest gold medalist in freestyle skiing, winning the big air event.[31] Gu landed her first attempt at a double cork 1620, which she had never tried in competition.[32] She was the second woman to land the trick and the first woman to land a left-turn 1620;[33] Tess Ledeux first successfully completed a double cork 1620 on 21 January 2022 at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado [34] and landed it again in her first run of the big air final at the 2022 Winter Olympics.[35][36]

Gu won the silver medal in the slopestyle event.[37] She won a second gold medal in the women's freeski halfpipe competition.[38]

World Cup results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation.[39]

Representing Season Date Location Discipline Place
United States United States 2018–2019 12 January 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 4 December 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

Gu also has a career as a fashion model, and is represented by the agency IMG Models.[15][17] As of January 2022, she has participated in a number of campaigns, including for Fendi and Gucci,[17] IWC Schaffhausen,[40] and Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton.[15][17][40] Gu has appeared on multiple magazine covers, including Elle and Vogue China.[17]

Gu's status as a leading sports star in China is reported to have earned her over $42 million in sponsorships.[41][42]

Personal life

Gu was raised by her mother and grandparents, and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and English.[11][43] She plays the piano as a hobby.[15]

In March 2021, Gu stated she had received hostility over her decision to compete for China, including death threats and "endless hate" over social media since age 15.[44]

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.[12] 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.[12][45] Gu also supports the Black Lives Matter movement.[11][46] She has been described as "a strong advocate of gender equality and representation of women in sports".[17]

Gu has largely declined to comment on political topics involving China.[47][48] Gu's American agent, Tom Yaps, told The Economist 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."[49]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program" (PDF). U.S. Department of Education. January 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  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. ^ "谷爱凌为什么自称"青蛙公主"？原因找到了". Sina News (in Chinese (China)). Sina. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ Branch, John (February 3, 2022). "Eileen Gu Is Trying to Soar Over the Geopolitical Divide". The New York Times.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ a b Bruton, Michelle. "Eileen Gu: Emerging Freeskiing Star, Fashion Model, Future Olympian ... And Only 17 Years Old". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c Deng, Boer; Silic, Anamaria (February 7, 2022). "Eileen Gu: US-China tension is trickiest slope for Olympic free skier". BBC. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c Larmer, Brook (February 3, 2022). "Cold warrior: why Eileen Gu ditched Team USA to ski for China". The Economist. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  13. ^ Gu, Eileen (March 1, 2021). "Presidential Scholars Program Candidate". Sina Weibo. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; July 25, 2021 suggested (help)
  14. ^ "U.S. Department of Education Announces 161 Students from Across the Country As 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars". U.S. Department of Education. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ a b c d e f 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.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "GU Ailing Eileen – Athlete Information – Career Information". FIS. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  20. ^ a b c Bachman, Rachel (January 10, 2022). "China's Star Skier Was Born in the USA—and Still Lives There". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  21. ^ a b @eileen_gu_ (June 6, 2019). "I have decided to compete for China in the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics..." – via Instagram.
  22. ^ "Olympic Charter" (PDF). Olympics. July 17, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  23. ^ "Eileen Gu: US-China tension is trickiest slope for Olympic free skier". BBC. February 7, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  24. ^ McNicol, Andrew (March 28, 2021). "How star skier Eileen Gu intends to empower young Chinese women". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  25. ^ Gao, Ao (January 27, 2020). "U.S. teen skier looks to inspire Chinese young women through sports". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  26. ^ Binner, Andrew (January 19, 2021). "Five things you didn't know about freestyle skiing prodigy Gu Ailing Eileen". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  27. ^ Aspen 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships. "Aspen 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships – Overall Results — FRI 12 MAR 2021 Start Time: 13:00 — Women's Freeski Halfpipe" (PDF). data.fis-ski.com. FIS. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 7, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ Mark Clavin (March 13, 2021). "Gu and Porteous clinch halfpipe gold medals in Aspen". fis-ski.com. FIS. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  29. ^ McNicol, Andrew (March 23, 2021). "Chinese-American skier Eileen Gu 'deeply honoured' to lead China's winter push". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  30. ^ "China's Eileen Gu stomps world's first women's freeski double cork 1440". Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  31. ^ 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.
  32. ^ Diaz, Jaclyn (February 8, 2022). "Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu stuns with final big air trick and wins gold". NPR. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  33. ^ Gu, Ailing (February 10, 2022). "1620 到底有多大？". douyin.com. Retrieved February 13, 2022. {{cite web}}: Check |archive-url= value (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. ^ Bruton, Michelle. "Tess Ledeux Changed The Game For Female Freestyle Skiers Right Before The Olympics". Forbes. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  35. ^ Nee, Liam (February 8, 2022). "China's Eileen Gu stomps 1620 to win first Olympic gold in freeski big air". KPRC. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  36. ^ "Ledeux of France hits 1620 on opening run of big air final | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  37. ^ "Olympian Eileen Gu, 18, finishes second in women's ski slopestyle, snares second medal in Beijing". ESPN. February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  38. ^ 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.
  39. ^ "GU Ailing Eileen - Athlete Information - Results". FIS. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  40. ^ 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.
  41. ^ 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.
  42. ^ https://au.sports.yahoo.com/sports/winter-olympics-2022-42-million-truth-eileen-gu-furore-232629894.html
  43. ^ Larmer, Brook (February 3, 2022). "Cold warrior: why Eileen Gu ditched Team USA to ski for China". The Economist. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  44. ^ McNicol, Andrew (March 23, 2021). "Chinese-American skier Eileen Gu 'deeply honoured' to lead China's winter push". South China Morning Post. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  45. ^ Yan, Alice (March 18, 2021). "Chinese-American skier Gu laments 'absurd' violence towards Asian-Americans". South China Morning Post. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  46. ^ 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.
  47. ^ Branch, John (February 3, 2022). "Eileen Gu Is Trying to Soar Over the Geopolitical Divide". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  48. ^ "Eileen Gu: US-China tension is trickiest slope for Olympic free skier". BBC. February 7, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  49. ^ 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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