Eileen Feng Gu is a Chinese American freestyle skier also known by her Chinese name Gu Ailing (Chinese: 谷爱凌 ). Since 2019, she has participated in halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air competitions representing China. She has gained fame as an athlete all around the world after taking home two gold medals and a silver in Big Air, Halfpipe, and Slopestyle, respectively.
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Early life
Eileen Gu was born on September 3, 2003, in San Francisco, California, to Yan Gu, a first-generation immigrant mother from China, and an American father.
Gu was raised in the Sea Cliff neighborhood of San Francisco. Gu learned to ski when she was three years old, joined the free-ski team at Northstar California Resort when she was eight, and at nine won her first national championship. She went to San Francisco University High School after attending the exclusive Katherine Delmar Burke School for grades K–8.
Gu completed high school early in 2021. Her mother’s alma college, Stanford University, granted her early admission in December 2020, and she started her studies there in the fall of 2022.
The International Success of Eileen Gu’s Skiing
Gu took part in the 2018–19 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup representing the United States. She requested a change of country with the International Ski Federation, and she has been competing for China since June 2019. Her objective was to represent China at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Gu decides to concentrate on her mixed Chinese and American background rather than her citizenship. Gu identified as an Asian American in a May 2022 interview. She has previously stated in interviews that “nobody can deny I’m American, nobody can deny I’m Chinese” and “Since I was little, I’ve always said when I’m in the U.S., I’m American, but when I’m in China, I’m Chinese.”
Gu won the large air event, the first to be held at the Olympics, and became the youngest freestyle skiing gold medallist at the 2022 Winter Games.
Gu took home the silver in the slopestyle competition. The women’s freestyle halfpipe competition gave her a second gold medal, making her the only freestyle skier to ever win three medals at an Olympics. At the 2022 ESPY Awards, she received the Best Breakthrough Athlete and Best Female Action Sports Athlete ESPY Awards.
How Tall does Eileen Gu Stands
The height of Eileen Gu is 5 feet 6 inches. With a body weight of 50kg, she is taller and more attractive.