American-born Chinese skier and Olympic freestyle gold medalist Eileen Gu Injured while training in New Zealand, these are several setbacks for the 2022 Beijing Championship champion.
The 21-year-old GU was training at Cardrona Skifield in New Zealand’s South Island when he was injured on August 15. The next day, the GU was sent to Christchurch, the main South Island, for medical imaging.
“Unfortunately, there was a very terrible accident yesterday due to man-made accidents,” GU Weibo on a Chinese social media website, with her followers of 6.7 million.
“We flew to Christchurch for medical imaging this morning. I wish I could return to the snow soon, but I’m still waiting for the final confirmation from the team of experts.”
There is no further details about the injury or condition of GU. GU has not provided an update since its release on August 16 and has only recently returned from a shoulder injury, which has led her to miss the Asian Winter Olympics.
San Francisco-born GU changed her loyalty to China, competing in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where she won two gold medals in freestyle skiing at the age of 18.
Posts on GU on Weibo suggest that overly enthusiastic fans may have played a role in her injury.
“I had to focus completely during training, especially when I was ready to start, which was very dangerous,” she said. “I also had to focus on depicting and imagining these movements on the cable car.
“To save time, I don’t have a lunch break and try to use the bathroom as little as possible. So please don’t record or take pictures while I’m training.”
According to Forbes, GU is the second highest female athlete in 2023, with a prize of $22.1 million, second only to tennis star Iga Swiatek.
Health & Wellness Contributor
A wellness enthusiast and certified nutrition advisor, Meera covers everything from healthy living tips to medical breakthroughs. Her articles aim to inform and inspire readers to live better every day.
