Seriously those that care that much about which country they represent are funny. Competing in the Olympics is the goal - who cares which country? DD
Eileen Gu would have been good enough to make it on the US team as she is one of the best at her sport. I guess china paid her a lot of money. She would have made a ton here too.
She very well might've but she also might not have liked the USOC and felt they weren't giving her enough support. I know Olympic level athletes who have been very critical of the USOC for those reasons. Also given how many US freestyle skiers even as one of the best in the World she would still have to work her way up building up points and going through US trials to make the team. As a PRC representative they probably just advanced her so she didn't have to worry about any domestic competition. Like I said though I really don't know why she is representing the PRC. It's possible it's not just the money but that as a Chinese freestyle skier she will actually build a new movement in not just the PRC but much of the rest of Asia.
Really feel for Tess Leydeux who took silver behind Gu. It really was the agony of defeat and good to see Gu show some good sportsmanship towards Leydeux.
She has way more PRC connection that people realize. Her white American father left the family when she was a kid, so she was essentially raised by her Chinese maternal side. I heard that her mom has a lot of connections in China, and was essentially able to get sponsorships, endorsements from Chinese companies to fund Gu's training from a young age. She also spends every summer in China. She does not come from some poor immigrant family that fled China for the US, her mom has business and political ties high up somewhere. I think at the end of the day it's most likely for monetary gains, and it makes total sense for her. She is hailed as a national hero in China, and gets way more exposure commercially compared to the US. She already models for luxury brands like LV, Tiffany's, and after this win she's going to be on billboards everywhere in China who are huge consumers of luxury goods.
Eileen Gu responds to the haters. I think she's being extremely "diplomatic" regarding Peng Shuai being there. I think she's smart enough to know that all of the success she as in the PRC is contingent on her maintaining the official line.
I think he went to Harvard and the mom went to Stanford Business School, and was pretty well off too. I always wondered why he left the family, Eileen even took the moms last name. These winter sports athletes are all paid out of pockets by the parents, you gotta decently well off to send them to train every winter on a ski resort.
Interesting I didn't know Eileen Gu's parents where that well off. In the US that is the case and one reason why most US winter athletes come from at least middle class families. Winter sports aren't cheap and it helps to have money to start with and then get good enough to get sponsors. The PRC system is totally different. where they will take promising athletes from a young age and put them into the state athletic system. Sports like aerials are athletes who started out being scouted for gymnastics. Speed skating athletes who had been scouted for track. Figure skating athletes who had been scouted for gymnastics and ballet. This is why the PRC doesn't really have much freestyle skiing as not many athletes have the obvious base skills when young to be good skiers. This is why Eileen Gu is a big exception and one reason why she likely decided to ski for the PRC. They are probably supporter her training and travel while not having to worry about domestic competition. That means her sponsorships all go to her pocket rather than for expenses that US athletes have to deal with.
damn she's straight up in it for her own success she's maximizing her opportunities but ruthless she's definitely from San Francisco and could be a silicon valley executive.
