American-born Chinese skier Eileen Gu has made history. On Friday, Gu became the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a single Olympic Games, taking home the gold medal in the women’s freeski halfpipe.
Gu, born and raised in San Francisco, made the decision to compete under her mother’s home country of China in 2019, placing herself squarely in the spotlight as relations between China and the United States have increasingly become more tense.
Many have questioned her decision, citing the benefits Gu received growing up in the U.S., and practicing with Team USA, along with the moral issues that come with competing under the Chinese communist flag.
But Gu has largely avoided the questions, going about her business on the slopes.
On Friday, Gu won her second gold medal of the Beijing Winter Olympics with the two highest scores of the event. Cassie Sharp and Rachael Karker of Canada took home silver and bronze.
“It has been more than what I imagined,” Gu said after the event. “I cannot believe I’m walking out of my first Olympics with two gold medals and a silver medal. Eileen Gu, three-time Olympic medalist. That’s just insane for me to think about.”
"Eileen Gu, three-time Olympic medalist, like that just is insane for me to think about."
The 18-year-old reacts to leaving the 2022 #WinterOlympics with three medals. @OnHerTurf pic.twitter.com/1IH53f6GJx
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 18, 2022
“Just like this all coming together, years and years in the making and it’s like letting out a deep breath. I feel exhausted. I mean, God, from opening ceremony until now I’ve been skiing every single day so I’m really tired, but I feel at peace. I feel grateful. I feel passionate, and I feel proud,” Gu told reporters.
Gu’s fame in China will only continue to grow with her success at the Beijing Games, following a year in which she reportedly made over $31 million in endorsements. She’s become the poster child for Chinese sports, which has raised questions from the media.
Following her first gold medal at the Olympics, Gu was asked about the status of her U.S. citizenship, considering that China does not allow dual citizenship.
“I’ve always been super outspoken about my gratitude to the U.S., especially the U.S. team,” Gu said when asked if she had to give up her U.S. citizenship to compete for China. “I feel as though they’ve helped me out so much in my development, they continue to support me. And same with the Chinese team. They’ve always been super supportive and they’ve helped me so much. And so in that sense, I think that that speaks volumes to the ability of sport to bridge the gap and to be a force for unity.”
When pressed to answer the question by another reporter, Gu dodged the question by saying she’s “a kid.”
“Yeah, um, first of all, I’m an 18-year old girl,” Gu said when pressed to answer. “I’m a kid. I haven’t even gone to college yet. I’m a pretty normal person . . .”
“If people don’t have a good heart, they won’t believe me, because they can’t empathize with people who do have a good heart,” she continued. “And so in that sense, I feel as though it’s a lot easier to block out the hate now. And also, they’re never going to know what it feels like to win an Olympic gold medal.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].
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