San Francisco-born freeskier Eileen Gu wins gold for China

BEIJING - San Francisco-born freestyle skiing phenomenon Eileen Gu soared her way to her first gold medal on Tuesday, representing the Olympic host country China at the Beijing Games. 

The 18-year-old skier delivered the biggest run of her life beating out Tess Ledeux of France to win the top honor in the Olympic debut of women’s freeski big air.

Gu’s gold earning performance included a double cork 1620 in her final turn, a stunning acrobatic accomplishment that moved her up to first place. The 1620 involves spinning four-and-a-half times while rotating twice off-axis as the skier flies 20-some feet in the air. 

It’s a move Gu’s never ever landed, so why not nail it for the first time on the world stage of the Olympics?

The moment her skis hit solid ground, she shrieked, "Oh my God!" grabbing her helmet, covering her face with excitement and falling to her knees. "I’m not crying, definitely not crying," she said through her tears. 

The successful 1620 was delivered on her third and final run which earned her a score of 94.5 for a combined total of 188.25. She leapfrogged Ledeux, whose final score was 187.5. Swiss skier Mathilde Gremaud took bronze with 182.50 points.

On Instagram, Gu posted a photo on the podium, with her medal around her neck and expressed gratitude. "OLYMPIC GOLD!!! In absolute disbelief still," she wrote, adding, "Thank you friends, family, and fans for all the support and thank you, skiing, for the experiences you have given me. Best day of my life. And to @tessledeux and @mathilde_gremaud … thank you for pushing women’s skiing to the level it’s at now, and for inspiring me for so many years."

Gu’s triumphant win sent a wave of excitement through her adopted homeland. According to online technology and sports news sites in China, the popular Chinese social media platform Weibo briefly crashed as users flooded to the site to react and celebrate the athlete known to many of her fans as the "Snow Princess."

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Gu was born in San Francisco to an American father and a Chinese mother. She was also raised in the city and honed her skills as an elite skier on the slopes of Lake Tahoe. The 18-year-old planned to attend Stanford University this fall. 

Gu has said she’s spent at least a quarter of her life in China. In 2019, she announced her decision to compete for her mother’s homeland in the Beijing Olympics.

In making her announcement, she shared, "I am proud of my heritage, and equally proud of my American upbringings. The opportunity to help inspire millions of young people where my mom was born, during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love."

China does not allow dual citizenship, and it’s unclear if Gu ever gave up her U.S. passport. 

"I feel like sport is really a way that we can unite people," she said when asked about her citizenship. "It’s something that doesn’t have to be related to nationality. It’s not something that can be used to divide people. We’re all out here together pushing the human limit."

Gu will have two more opportunities to medal in Beijing. She’ll be competing in the freeski slopestyle qualifiers set for Sunday, with the finals the following day. Then on Thursday, Feb. 17, she’s set to show her stuff in the women's freeski halfpipe qualifiers, which will also be followed by the finals the next day.

The Associated Press contributed to this story, which was reported in Oakland, Calif.