Eileen Gu’s Slopestyle Qualifying Postponed By Climate

ZHANGJIAKOU, China — Snow and wind pushed Sunday’s slopestyle qualifiers to Monday, delaying the medal hopes of China’s favorite Olympic athlete — the 18-year-old freestyle skier Eileen Gu.

Gu, who grew up in California however competes for China, is a favourite in ladies’s slopestyle, the occasion the place rivals ski by a mountain course of rails and obstacles earlier than navigating a collection of three large jumps.

Delaying the ladies’s freeski slopestyle occasion by a day may affect Gu’s coaching for her third occasion, the halfpipe. Gu is without doubt one of the few athletes to compete in each slopestyle and halfpipe, and halfpipe {qualifications} are scheduled for Thursday.

Gu already has one gold medal, in big air, earned in dramatic, come-from-behind style final Tuesday at an industrial park in western Beijing. Her win catapulted her to a different stage of fame and scrutiny. Afterward, she deftly answered questions from reporters for greater than an hour whereas swiping away probing queries about her citizenship standing.

The Olympics have a coverage that athletes should be residents of the nation for which they compete, and China doesn’t enable twin citizenship.

Gu, whose mom was born and raised in China and who maintains deep ties to Beijing, is a ubiquitous determine right here. Her face graces commercials of all kinds and her exploits obtain fixed consideration on state-run information channels.

Slopestyle is an occasion that fits Gu, who confirmed technical prowess on the rails at a younger age, working with the U.S. nationwide staff (she switched to China in 2019). She is a daring jumper, as her large air victory demonstrated.

In a smattering of worldwide competitions over the previous 12 months, Gu has gained or completed second in each slopestyle occasion. Her greatest menace right here is more likely to come from Kelly Sildaru of Estonia and Tess Ledeux of France. It was Ledeux who led the massive air occasion till Gu’s ultimate soar dropped her to silver.