Teen Freeskier Eileen Gu Dazzles in Historic X Games Debut With 2 Golds, 1 Bronze

Ryan General
·2 min read

Teen freeskier Eileen Gu made history in her stellar debut at the Winter X Games by making all podium finishes in the three events she competed in.

Star-making performance: Gu, a 17-year-old Chinese American athlete from San Francisco, won two gold medals and one bronze in three events from Jan. 29-30, reports Aspen Times.

  • On Friday, Gu won bronze in the women’s ski big air competition, behind silver medalist Megan Oldham and gold medalist Mathilde Gremaud.

  • Later that night, she defeated Olympic gold medalist Cassie Sharpe to win the women’s ski Superpipe gold. Defending champion Kelly Sildaru was not able to join the contest due to an injury.

  • Not only did she become the first rookie to win gold in the Superpipe, but she was also the first Chinese athlete in history to win a gold in X Games.

  • The next day, Gu won her second gold during the women’s ski slopestyle contest at Buttermilk Ski Area.

  • Winning three medals in three events in about 24 hours was also a feat no other rookie has achieved in X Games’ 25-year history.

 

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A rising star: Before her remarkable X Games debut, Gu was already getting recognized not only for her athletic skills but her other talents outside sports.

  • Forbes’ China featured her as one of its 30 Under 30 entertainment and sports figures.

  • After acing her SAT with a 1580 score, it was revealed that she was set to study at Stanford University in the fall of 2022, aiming to possibly take up molecular genetics as an area of study.

  • Among her other areas of interest include playing the piano and being a cross-country runner.

  • After winning one gold and one silver medal for the U.S. in the three World Cup stops, Gu has made a commitment to represent China, her mother’s homeland, in international competitions.

  • She is expected to represent China in the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics which Beijing is set to host, as NextShark previously reported.

Featured Image via @eileen_gu_

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