Eileen Gu, also known by her Chinese name Gu Ailing, was born in San Francisco, California, US, on 3/9/2003. Her mother is Chinese, and her father is American. Gu is a product of American sports development, benefiting from its structured training system and competitive environment. She won one gold and one silver medal for the US at the Freestyle Skiing World Cup in 2019, at just 15 years old.

However, at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Gu made headlines by representing host nation China, quickly becoming an iconic figure in Chinese sports. During those Games, Gu secured two gold medals in big air and halfpipe, along with a silver medal in slopestyle, making her one of the most successful athletes of the event.

Eileen Gu at the opening day of the Paris 2024 Olympics, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, France on 26/7/2024. Anh: Reuters

Ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, Gu confirmed to the American magazine Time that she would continue to compete for China. Explaining her choice, the 22-year-old athlete stated that her biggest motivation isn't personal achievement or commercial factors, but rather the ability to create social impact. "The US already has plenty of elite representatives", Gu said. "I like to create my own playground".

According to Gu, freestyle skiing was not a popular sport in China before 2022. Her competing for the Chinese national team helped attract youth attention, broaden the player base, and inspire a new generation. Gu believes she would struggle to achieve this if she continued to represent the US, where skiing already has a strong foothold.

Eileen Gu competing in the halfpipe event at the 2022 Winter Olympics at Genting snow park, Zhangjiakou city, Hebei province, China on 18/2/2022. Anh: Reuters

Gu's decision continues to face mixed reactions, especially in the US. In 2022, she faced severe criticism, even being seen as turning her back on her birth country. A major point of contention is citizenship, as China does not recognize dual nationality. Many have questioned whether Gu had to renounce her US citizenship to be eligible to compete.

When asked about this issue, Eileen Gu declined to elaborate. She asserted that citizenship is not a factor directly related to sports or her decision to compete. According to Time, there is no evidence that Gu has renounced her US citizenship, nor has she confirmed her current legal status. "I don't see how that's relevant", Gu stated concisely.

Eileen Gu's performance continues to impress experts. She entered the Olympic season as a top contender for gold medals. Last week, Gu won the Laax Open in Switzerland, bringing her career World Cup victories to 20 – a record in women's freestyle skiing.

In 2022, Time magazine selected Gu for its Top 100 most influential people in the world, in the "pioneers" category. With two Winter Olympic gold medals and two world championship gold medals already secured, she is dubbed the "snow princess" in the sport.

Hoang An (according to Fox News)