How Chinese Skier Eileen Gu Will Cash In On Competing For China
Born and Raised in America … And Has been Competing as an American
But Now No more ? Why Now ? Has She Lost The American Dream or Just making the most of Her Opportunities ?
American Eileen Gu said she decided to compete for China to honor her mother, who was born there. It turned out to be a great financial choice, too.
Gu, who also goes by her Chinese name Gu Ailing, posted a photo of her eating dumplings to her Weibo account, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, and received thousands of comments of support within a day. For some Chinese fans, like Chai and his friends in Copper, Gu’s decision to switch countries signifies a global power shift away from U.S. dominance and sparks intense national pride.
After winning a gold medal in the women’s freeski big air competition at the Winter Olympics in Beijing on Tuesday, Gu can count on endorsement deals and sponsorships from both countries, U.S. marketing experts say.
“Gu is in an interesting position where she can support both American and Chinese brands because she is passionate about both,” says Cheyenne Cantor, a marketing executive at MediaLink, a UTA company, in Los Angeles. “Gu has the opportunity to highlight brands in China that may not have the popularity that other American brands have and vice versa.”
In China, skiing is not the popular sport it is in the West, and Gu is seen as a personality who can spread the word while growing a fan base that’s loyal to her and will buy the products she endorses, Cantor said.
I STAND WITH CHINA MY MOTHER’SLAND
Traitor ? No Way ! There are loads of Chinese in America Who Still Support Her and might even emulate her …
if not to whip up some Anti American Sentiment for a Change
The announcement came as a surprise to many in the sport. It is rare for a top U.S. athlete to switch countries, and rarer still for a U.S. citizen to acquire a Chinese passport. Many questioned whether Gu, a high school sophomore at the time, understood the impact of her decision. She was called a traitor on social media and accused of making the choice for financial gain and allowing herself to be used as a political tool by the Chinese government.
Through her agent, Gu declined to comment for this story and has never confirmed whether she renounced her American passport. But the International Olympic Committee requires athletes to hold passports for the countries they represent, and China does not recognize dual citizenship.
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The 18-year-old Gu, a San Francisco resident, is a model, represented by IMG, who spent summers in China. She’s come under fire for skiing with the Chinese team rather than the American, but marketing experts say the gains from her popularity in China will more than offset any backlash she faces in the U.S.
Gu already has plenty of affiliations with luxury brands on both sides of the Pacific. Last year, Tiffany & Co. named her as one of three new global brand ambassadors, along with actresses Anya Taylor-Joy and Tracee Ellis Ross. Gu also works with watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen, Victoria’s Secret, Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Gucci.
Californian-born Eileen Gu won gold for China at the Beijing Winter Olympics — and then repeatedly refused to answer the burning question surrounding her defection from the United States to the host country.
Gu, already arguably the biggest star at the entire 2022 Games, secured a thunderous political win for China when she claimed gold in the inaugural women’s freeski Big Air with a stunning jump she had never tried before.
She shed tears of joy after only picking up the gold medal with her final run.
“The tears were mostly of joy, that I had pushed myself to the absolute limit,” Gu said.
“That was the best moment of my life. The happiest moment, day of my life. I just cannot believe what just happened.”
The 18-year-old has been the headline story of the Games after she left Team USA officials baffled by her decision to represent China while the country remains accused of abusing human rights and engaging in unfair trade policies.
Her face has been everywhere, flooding TV ads, promotions and billboards.
It’s why she is a powerful weapon for China at the Games — and it was on full display during her event when former tennis doubles world number one Peng Shuai also popped up cheering her on from a VIP section of the crowd.
Peng alleged in a social media post in November that former Chinese vice-premier Zhang Gaoli forced her into sex and she was not heard from for nearly three weeks, prompting concern around the world about her safety.
Now the stunt is being called out as an act of propaganda from the Chinese government, attempting to smooth over a saga that has heaped international pressure on the country.
It didn’t take long for the dark side of Gu’s Olympics fairytale to emerge after the victory as she repeatedly refused to directly address questions surrounding her American citizenship.
China does not allow its citizens to carry dual citizenship.
USA Today’s Dan Wolken posted on Twitter she showed impressive athleticism in dodging the questions.
“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.
When asked how she is juggling trying to keep her fans in both countries, her answer surprised reporters at the post-even press conference.
“I think that here’s the thing I’m not trying to keep everyone happy,” she said.
“I’m an 18 year old girl out here living my best life. I’m out here having a great time.
“It doesn’t matter if other people are happy or not. I’m doing my best. I’m enjoying the entire process and using my voice to create as much positive change as I can in an area that is personal and relevant to myself.”
She went on to say she is not going to try to “placate people who are uneducated”.
Gu is competing in two more events in Beijing — the freestyle halfpipe and slopestyle — so could become the first freestyle skier to win Winter Games medals in three different disciplines.
“I don’t want to think about the next two events, I am a very fast-pace person, so I just want to soak it all in,” she said.
Gu, whose father is American, will see her already huge popularity in China increase further after winning Olympic gold.
She is a model and ambassador for several luxury brands, but she says the work she put in to win the gold medal happened far away from any spotlight.
“There were no cameras in the gym when I worked out after eight hours of modelling or at 4:00 pm when I hiked up to get the last ski lift so I could try one more jump,” she said.
The level-headed teen is grateful for all the support she has received from her Chinese and American fans.
With striking eyes that led her to modelling deals with Victoria’s Secret and Vogue and more than 400,000 Instagram followers — and now the first of what she hopes will be three golds — Gu will have a large platform to influence. She will enter the slopestyle and halfpipe events as the favourite to win.
After her final run, with tears in her eyes and the shouting done, she could be heard telling herself, “Definitely not crying, definitely not crying.”
— with AFP, New York Post
post is culled and adapted from various online sources
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Like with most things she attempts, Gu — who ran cross country in high school, graduated in three years and earned a near-perfect 1580 on her SAT — showed an aptitude for freeskiing. She was a quick study, able to visualize and learn complicated tricks in the halfpipe and terrain park. Known for spinning equally well in both directions, a key to earning high scores at contests, Gu’s runs include tricks no other woman has done, including a double cork 1440, which she competed for the first time in a big air contest last year.
Gu also is undeniably marketable. She speaks with equal poise and conviction in English and Mandarin, which is all the more impressive because of her flawless Beijing accent. She is one of the tallest women in the sport, at 5-foot-9, and skis with long, elegant lines. She is confident in a way that comes off more earnest than cocky, and her telegenic beauty translates even when she’s competing in a helmet and goggles.
Gu competed on the U.S. rookie team for about a year before she approached her coaches in early 2019 to ask for permission to switch nations. Unlike athletes who change country affiliations in order to make the Olympics, Gu was a standout who was expected to qualify for the U.S. team. U.S. Freeski & Snowboard head coach Mike Jankowski says the coaching staff made a case to Gu and her mother for why she should stay, but they also told Gu they would never stand in her way. “We have a ton of respect for her decision and supported her 100 percent,” Jankowski says. “To be able to honor her heritage in that way is really cool.”