Wintersports
Freeskiing
Meet the 16-year-old hoping to inspire a generation
For teenage freeski pro Eileen Gu, the decision of a lifetime didn’t come easily, but she did what had to be done.
Having already earned her first World Cup victory at the FIS Freeski World Cup at just 15, San Francisco-born Eileen Gu looked to her mother’s birthplace of China for a new challenge ahead of the 2022 Olympic Games – to inspire a new generation of athletes far away from the celebrated ski credentials of North America.
Choosing to compete for China rather than the United States came at a cost for Gu, but she’s certain it won’t be long until the decision pays off – it’s already having a huge effect.
Eileen Gu
© Allison Seto / Red Bull Content Pool
“I was on the US team and about to be promoted to the pro team,” she explains, “I was so grateful to everything the US team had done.
“But there aren't as many role models in China and I wanted to bring that connection, to give them greater purpose and to inspire.”
Gu now receives thousands of messages from China every day. From young girls inspired to strap on skis for the very first time to older fans saying she’s pushed them to step outside their comfort zones.
Gu says her decision has a very special meaning.
“It’s the biggest goal for any athlete and an incredible opportunity for me,” she says, “which I know will be both exciting and hectic. I’ve a deep connection with the country and skiing is exploding there.”
But she knows the growing interest will bring with it a level of expectation in 2022.
Her early results suggest she'll be among the medal contenders come Beijing – her gold and silver at the Youth Games something she describes as “mind bending” – and her track record includes back-to-back slopestyle and half-pipe wins in Calgary.
Eileen Gu on the podium in Calgary
© Allison Seto / Red Bull Content Pool
“My halfpipe run got my highest score ever, but it was also the best run I’d ever done,” she explains. “There are two parts to freeskiing – landing something new and winning a contest. It’s rare they come together in one run, but I did it there and I was over the moon.”
The celebrations were short-lived, though and with the season over she's quite literally doubling her efforts with her schoolwork, trying to do two high school years in just one.
“It can be hectic, but I like all these different things and the ratio of time I put into them.”
