China’s US-born star Eileen Gu one step closer to Winter Olympics history

Despite the pressure of being stuck between two superpowers, Eileen Gu has won a second medal at the Winter Olympics.

Arguably the biggest star at the 2022 Winter Olympics, American-born freestyle skier Eileen Gu, has won a second medal for China.

Before the Olympics, Gu, who was born and raised in the US, defected to the country of her mother’s birth, China, for the Beijing Games.

The 18-year-old, whose name in China is Gu Ailing, won gold last Tuesday as she triumphed in the inaugural women’s freeski big air.

One week later, Gu has claimed silver in the slopestyle final.

She is also competing in the freestyle half-pipe, her strongest event, meaning she could become the first freestyle skier to win Winter Games medals in three different disciplines.

Her bid to take home another gold medal on Tuesday was thwarted by Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud. Estonia’s Kelly Sildaru won bronze.

Eileen Gu hugs Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud after coming runner-up to her in the women's freeski slopestyle final. Picture: Ben Stansall / AFP

The medal puts her in a position to make Olympic history. Picture: Marco Bertorello / AFP

Gu described the win as “so special”. Just like her gold, she clinched the win in her final run.

“I don’t know why I keep doing it to myself,” Gu said, according to ESPN. “It doesn’t make it easy for myself. It certainly doesn’t make it easy for my coaches. My mom has a heart attack every day. It’s definitely not the easiest. But I’m happy I was able to push through and turn that pressure into fuel.”

After the event, half of the top 10 trending topics on China’s social media platform Weibo were about Gu, according to Bloomberg.

The teen’s face has been everywhere in China, flooding TV ads, promotions and billboards.

According to Reuters, sales of her red Anta ski suit surged 20-fold on Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com and Luckin Coffee sold out of Gu-endorsed drinks after the teen star won gold.

News outlet Tianxiashangwang reported that Gu’s earnings since the start of last year were estimated to be more than 200 million yuan ($A42 million).

Her defection from the US to China sparked plenty of debate across the world however, there is believed to be a financial incentive for Gu to choose China.

“She is the golden star for the country with the fastest-growing economy,” Mike Hanley, head of school at Wy’East Mountain Academy in Oregon said. “She can be the Tony Hawk of winter sports in China.”

Gu’s face has been used as a marketing tool across China. Picture: Noel Celis / AFP

On top of multimillion-dollar endorsements and international modelling contracts, Gu is a student who will be going to America’s Stanford University in September.

In America, Gu’s sponsors include Red Bull, Cadillac, the Apple-owned Beats by Dre headphones and Victoria’s Secret, where she was announced as one of the new faces of the brand last year. In the pages of Harpers Bazaar, Gu modelled the lingerie brand’s activewear in an image that showed her flying through the air.

She was also on the cover of iconic fashion magazine Vogue in 2021.

But those big names are dwarfed by the deals being made in China, where the national broadcaster, CCTV, has described Gu as “the perfect child next door”. Others in China have dubbed her the “Snow Princess”.

So far she’s inked more than 20 endorsement deals in her adopted homeland, signing with companies such as the Bank of China, China Mobile and milk company Mengniu. She is also the spokesperson for Luckin’ Coffee, the Starbucks of China. According to campaignasia.com, a single endorsement deal with the skier costs about $2.5 million.

Gu has managed to win two medals already despite the pressure from being stuck between two super powers. Picture: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Former Olympic volleyball broadcaster and publicist Jeff Ruffolo, who has extensive experience working at sports events in China, told the Washington Post Gu can have the same impact as China’s first NBA star Yao Ming, who became a 2.29m tall cult hero in the American basketball league.

“She’s going to be as big as Yao Ming was,” Ruffolo said. “These Olympics are going to be her NBA.”

She has avoided answering questions surrounding her American citizenship when asked by the media. China does not allow its citizens to carry dual citizenship and the International Olympic Committee requires athletes to hold passports for the countries they compete for.

“I definitely feel as though I’m just as American as I am Chinese,” she said.

“I’m American when I’m in the US and Chinese when I’m in China. Both continue to be supportive of me because they understand my mission is to use sport as a force for unity.”

— with New York Post