San Francisco local Gu is now a two-time gold-medalist, the Olympics’ youngest ever freestyle snowboarding champion, a Chinese language nationwide hero — and a budding writer.
Born and raised in California, Gu selected to compete for China in 2019 — the place her mom used to be born — and become the primary freestyler skier in historical past to win 3 medals at a Video games, profitable gold in each the halfpipe and massive air occasions.
“I am writing a e-book,” Gu informed journalists on Saturday. “I have been writing diaries for years as a result of I knew that the best way I grew up used to be other, fascinating and particular, I would love to proportion it with everybody someday.”
Hailed because the “pleasure of China” after profitable her first gold, Gu has since received extra medals than any person else for the rustic on the Video games.
However Gu does not view her achievements at Beijing 2022 as purely a non-public fulfillment — in addition they serve a better representational function, in line with the 18-year-old.
“Excessive sports activities, everyone knows, are closely ruled via males and stereotypically it has no longer had the type of illustration and carrying fairness that it must,” stated Gu.
“So I feel that as a tender biracial girl, it’s tremendous essential in an effort to achieve the ones milestones and in an effort to push barriers — no longer most effective my very own barriers however the ones of the game and the ones of the report books as a result of that is what paves the previous for the following technology of women.”
Referred to as Gu In poor health in China, even sooner than the Olympics the younger big name’s face used to be in all places within the nation — splashed throughout billboards, ads, mag covers and on state tv within the construct as much as a house Video games.
Given her good fortune at Bejing 2022, her sky-high reputation unsurprisingly persevered to rocket.
“In the event you see your self within the game, it utterly adjustments your belief of what you’ll be able to do in it,” Gu added.
“So my greatest purpose is one, to have a laugh for myself, but in addition to damage the bounds of the packing containers that individuals get installed.”
‘Very, very disturbed’
In contrast, Valieva leaves Beijing beneath the cloud of an ongoing medication check scandal and a “traumatizing” ultimate skating efficiency.
The 15-year-old Russian determine skater used to be touted to dazzle on the Iciness Olympic and she or he did — making historical past as she become the primary girl to land a quad on the Video games.
Alternatively, an afternoon after she helped the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) to gold within the staff match the Russian youngster used to be suspended.
The suspension on February 8 got here after it used to be found out that Valieva had examined sure for banned middle drug trimetazidine in December 2021, regardless that the end result used to be most effective analyzed and reported to the Russian Anti-Doping Company (RUSADA) in February.
Valieva used to be therefore cleared to compete within the person determine skating match, however a dominant get started led to tears after she fell more than one instances throughout the deciding loose skate regimen to complete outdoor the rostrum puts in fourth on Thursday.
After the 15-year-old left the rink in tears, former US Olympic determine skater Polina Edmunds described the revel in as “very traumatizing” for the teen.
Edmunds’ discomfort used to be echoed via Global Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, who stated he used to be “very, very disturbed” when looking at Valieva’s efficiency on TV.
“How excessive the force on her should were,” Bach informed journalists throughout a media convention on Friday.
“This force is past my creativeness, particularly for a lady of 15 years previous. To look her suffering at the ice, seeing how she tries to compose herself once more. How she tries to complete her program.
“In each motion within the frame language … you might want to really feel that that is an immense, immense psychological pressure and possibly she would’ve most popular simply to depart the ice. And check out to depart this tale at the back of her.”
‘Chilling setting’
Bach additionally stated that he didn’t have “a lot self assurance within the closest entourage of Kamila,” remarking he spotted “how she used to be won … with what gave the impression to be an incredible coldness, it used to be chilling to look this.”
“Moderately than giving her convenience. Moderately than to take a look at to lend a hand her … you might want to really feel this chilling setting. This distance. And should you had been deciphering the frame language of them, it were given even worse as a result of this used to be even some roughly dismissive gestures.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has driven again at Bach’s feedback, announcing that whilst he revered his opinion, he didn’t “essentially trust him.”
“Thomas Bach is an excessively respected individual in sports activities, he’s the pinnacle of the Global Olympic Committee and, in fact, we appreciate his viewpoint, however we do not essentially trust him,” Peskov informed journalists in a Friday briefing.
Peskov added that even though Bach did not like seeing the “tricky” techniques at play, “everyone is aware of that within the game of significant achievements, the toughness of a instructor is the important thing to victory,” including, “We will be able to see the athletes accomplished those victories. And running shoes. So let’s be pleased with our victors.”
Lizzy Yee, Angus Watson, Selina Wang, David Shut, Jacob Lev, Jeevan Ravindran, and Ben Morse contributed to this document
