EILEEN GU, the face of China’s Winter Olympics, became emotional after winning a second gold medal as she claimed mixing sport with fashion paid off.
To the delight of the host nation, the 18-year-old won the women’s freeski halfpipe event at the Genting Snow Park on Friday morning.
This title was added to the Big Air gold medal won on February 8– in front of IOC president Thomas Bach and retired tennis player Peng Shuai– and a silver medal in the slopestyle.
Gu’s image has been on Chinese TV adverts and street billboards throughout these Games and, despite her American background, she has been warmly accepted by the home fans.
Away from skiing, she is paid a fortune to be a Victoria’s Secret fashion model and has graced the cover pages of Chinese versions of Vogue, Harper’s and Elle.
The ‘Snow Princess’, who “loves the sound of camera shutters”, also has a gigantic social media presence both on Instagram and Weibo.
Of course, given her US heritage and the fact she switched allegiances to China, she has had to negotiate tricky questions about the two superpowers and geopolitics.
But despite her young age, she has tremendous self-assurance and confidence when it comes to dealing with the world’s press.
Gu, who was born in San Francisco and has an American twang, said: “It has been two straight weeks of the most intense highs and lows I’ve ever experienced in my life. It has changed my life forever.
“I’m so honoured to be here and I’m even more honoured by this platform that I’ve been given to be able to spread this message and inspire young girls through my own passion for the sport.
Most read in Sport
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
“Today kind of just felt like this coming-together moment because it’s my last event at the Olympics.
“I put so much work into this, and to just feel like it was all worth it.
“All those little moments, the time I put in, in the gym after shooting a fashion editorial for eight to 10 hours, when I ran a half-marathon every week over the summer, when I pushed myself to be the first person in practice and the last person to leave.
“Just all those little moments I feel like added up and it was just this great realisation that it was all worth it and that it was all real.
‘VERY EMOTIONAL AT THE TOP’
“I was very emotional at the top and I chose to do a victory lap because I felt like for the first time I really deserved it, and I really earned it.
“It was just this great period, punctuation on this amazing journey up until this Olympics.
“The overriding emotion is just this deep-seated sense of gratitude and resolution, just like this all coming together, years and years in the making and it’s like letting out a deep breath.
“I feel exhausted. I mean, god, from Opening Ceremony until now I’ve been skiing every single day so I’m really tired, but I feel at peace. I feel grateful. I feel passionate, and I feel proud.”
