Eileen Gu’s Road to Gold
By Hannah Kestenberg
The highly anticipated Winter Olympics of 2022 has just finished, and it is an understatement to say that it was quite exciting for viewers—especially those who love the story of a teenage phenom. Eileen Gu, or Gu Ailing, is the new household name.
Eileen is now known for her achievements in freestyle skiing, winning two Gold Medals and one Silver Medal at this year’s Olympic Games.
Not only is Eileen known for her outstanding athletic achievements, but she also is an IMG model and promising student, committing to Stanford University. Her accomplishments were not achieved without hard work, and there were many difficulties along the way.
Eileen was born and raised in San Francisco, California. At age three, she learned to ski in Lake Tahoe, where her mother was a part time skiing coach. By the age of nine, she had become champion at the USA Snowboard and Freeski Junior Association and joined the senior set-up four years later.
Many say that Eileen had a very natural talent for skiing, as she only practiced on the weekends and during holiday breaks, focusing most of her time on her academics. At age 15, she won her first major title in Canada. She then moved on to the 2020 junior Olympics and won two golds and a silver. After 2020, she continued to dominate in professional level tournaments, wiping out all of the competition and being the youngest one competing.
A major controversy came to be when Eileen decided to represent China, not the United States, for the 2022 Olympics.
Although born in the States, Eileen is half Chinese. Eileen has an American father and Chinese mother, and was raised by her mother and maternal grandmother. Due to this, she created a deep connection with and appreciation for her Chinese heritage, despite growing up in California. Her relationship with her mother led her to choose to represent China instead of her home country. Gu said that while the overwhelming majority of feedback received was of encouragement and pride, and she is still friends with former teammates-turned-opponents, she received death threats on social media for the move.
Many were upset at her decision, but in the end, it was her choice to represent China, not anyone else's.
Furthermore, Gu's fluency in Mandarin has helped secure her place on Chinese TV ads, billboards, and gain recognition from many brands that are now her sponsors. Not only is she a star in the United States, but her popularity in China is rapidly growing. Going into the Olympics, Eileen was one of the most heavily sponsored athletes, with over twenty companies by her side.
At only eighteen years old, Eileen is destined to achieve more great things, skiing wise and pop culture wise.
Gu’s ambition and drive will continue to gain popularity around the world, and catch the eyes of more notable companies ready to become sponsors. Needless to say, this will not be the last time Eileen Gu will be seen, whether she is on the slopes or on the cover of Vogue. Eileen still has a long way to go and many goals to fill, but she is on the right track and ready for anything to come her way.