ZHANGJIAKOU, China – Eileen Gu knows she’s going to Stanford in the fall.
Between now and then, well, that’s a lot less clear. Fresh of claiming her third Olympic medal on Friday – a halfpipe gold that wasn’t really in question – Gu didn’t know what her immediate future held.
“I have a lot of big goals coming up in the future, but I don’t really know what I’m going to be doing,” she said. “You guys will have to stay tuned on that one.”
The 18-year-old freeskier has become the biggest star of these Games, winning a gold medal in big air and silver in slopestyle in addition to her halfpipe medal. Born and raised in San Francisco, Gu competes for her mother’s native China.
That multicultural background has made her a cultural touchpoint during these Olympics, even as she as worked to bridge the gap.
But it is Gu’s exceptional talent that made her a star. Her three medals tied her for the most by any action sports athlete in an Olympics, and she is the only one to do it in one Games.
Beyond that, the bilingual teen has a knack for being good at most other things. Also a model, she’s a talented piano player with a 1580 SAT score who got into one of the most prestigious schools in the country.
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“I’m a very competitive person and I’m also a very goal-oriented person,” Gu said. “I do know that I’m going to go to Stanford. I do know that I still love skiing and I know that I want to continue my work in the fashion industry and I want to continue being a nerd and I want to keep writing and I want to get some of my writing published.”
After that, much is up in the air – especially on competing next season.
Many Olympians take time off after the Games, periods that often extend a season or two. That might also include Gu, who captivated many with her story and her skiing here.
“In terms of competing, I have no idea what I am even doing next year. I’m going to go to college,” she said. “In terms of skiing competitively, am I going to continue competing? Who knows? I love skiing still. I would love to continue competing. But in terms of resources and time and what else I’m juggling, it depends. I’m gonna do whatever feels right and hopefully be able to create some positive change out of any decision that I make.”
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