Eileen Gu Targets Three Golds at Milan Winter Olympics, Mother Gu Yan Joins as Coach

On the morning of January 27, the Chinese sports delegation for the 25th Winter Olympics was officially announced. The delegation consists of 286 members, including 126 athletes (68 women, 58 men). Notably, freestyle skier Eileen Gu is the only athlete competing in multiple events, participating in the halfpipe, big air, and slopestyle, with strong prospects for winning three gold medals.

At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Gu also competed in all three events, earning 2 golds and 1 silver, setting multiple historic milestones for Chinese winter sports. In a recent interview with U.S. media, she stated that representing China is not financially motivated, but rather driven by her desire to promote freestyle skiing in China and inspire more participants, especially young girls.

In a CCTV interview, Gu humorously mentioned that she is looking forward to enjoying dumplings, a taste of home, in Milan.

Gu’s mother, Gu Yan, has also been named to the Chinese delegation as a coach, overseeing the same events as her daughter. A native of Beijing, Gu Yan graduated from Peking University, later earning a Master’s in Biology from Auburn University and an MBA from Stanford. She enrolled Eileen in a professional ski team at the age of 8. Gu obtained Chinese citizenship in 2019, and during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Gu Yan served as the manager for the big air and slopestyle freestyle skiing teams.

As the Milan Winter Olympics approach, Eileen Gu will carry the hopes of China’s freestyle skiing program for three gold medals, while Gu Yan’s presence adds invaluable experience and support to the team.