US-born
Eileen Gu won gold in women’s freestyle big air for China at the Winter
Olympics in Beijing on Tuesday. She stunned France’s Tess Ledeux to win the
yellow metal. Gu also believes she can win two more gold medals in the ongoing
Winter Olympics.

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Gu,
nicknamed “Snow Princess”, delivered a superb performance in her adopted home
country. She is also being considered a favourite to win the coveted gold in
slopestyle and halfpipe. If she wins gold in these two events, she will be the
first one to finish on top of the podium in all three events.

The
big air event was attended by tennis player Peng Shuai.

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How
Gu won the gold

Eileen
Gu’s first attempt to win gold came in the last round. She is also the only
woman to ever land 1620 – four 1/2 spins – in competition, and she stomped one
out with a slight wobble on the landing in round one.

After
qualifying for the medal round on Monday, Gu showed promise of doing better
than Ledeux. And as expected, she did it with much aplomb.

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The
18-year-old from San Francisco shrieked when she landed the jump in round
three, then dropped to her knees when her score of 94.50 was announced. Her
combined total of 188.25 topped Ledeux’s 187.5.

Ledeux
tried to improve on her second run in round three, coming into the jump
backwards for a switch 1440. She landed with one ski still in the air, though,
clearing the way for Gu’s gold.

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Criticised
in the US

Meanwhile,
she has been widely criticised in the United States for rejecting the chance of
representing the Team USA in the Winter Olympics. She chose China instead. Gu’s
mother is from China, and though she learned to ski in California, Gu said her
goal is to be a role model for young girls in China who have not had many
female athletes to admire.

It
has been a lucrative move for her, as well. Her face is on advertisements
across Beijing, and her modelling career is taking off nearly as much as she
does on skis, with appearances for Vogue, Victoria’s Secret, Louis Vuitton, and
Tiffany already to her name.

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Peng,
already an idol to female Chinese athletes, sat in the stands with
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach a day after saying
in a controlled interview that the sexual assault allegations she made against
a former high-ranking member of China’s ruling Community Party were “an
enormous misunderstanding.“