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Eileen Gu Shines as Grand Marshal at San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade
San Francisco, CA – Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu, the American-born skier who famously represented China at the Winter Games, returned to her hometown roots this past Saturday, serving as the grand marshal for San Francisco’s vibrant Chinese New Year celebrations.
Before leading the festive parade, Gu expressed her deep appreciation for the honor in an interview with KGO-TV, remarking, “This is a special thing to be grand marshal, and be part of it.” She fondly recounted childhood memories of attending the parade with her family and the comforting aromas of her mother and grandmother cooking in the kitchen.
The three-time gold medalist shared with the station that her current focus extends beyond the slopes, aiming to make a significant global impact. “My biggest goal has always been making the greatest amount of positive impact on the global stage that I possibly can,” Gu stated. “At this moment in time, that takes the form of sport, fashion and education.”
Gu’s decision to compete for Team China rather than Team USA during the Olympics garnered considerable criticism. However, she recently reflected on her choice, offering further insight into her motivations.
“I gave my first speech on women in sports and title IX when I was 11 years old. I talked about being the only girl on my ski team, and, despite attending an all-girls’ school from Monday through Friday, becoming best friends with my teammates on the weekends through the common language of sport,” Gu posted on Instagram.
She also expressed gratitude for her single season competing for the U.S. team. “When I was 15, I announced my decision to compete for China.
At the time, I had spent one season on the US team, and had been lucky enough to meet my heroes in person. I am forever grateful for that season, and continue to maintain a close relationship with the team.”
Gu detailed her consistent engagement with China, having spent every summer there since age eight, establishing summer camps for various ages to promote trampoline and dry slope skiing. She noted, “Skiing for Team China meant the opportunity to uplift others through the universal culture of sport, and to introduce freeskiing to hundreds of millions of people who had never heard of it, especially with the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics around the corner.”
Concluding her statement, Gu acknowledged that her decision might not be universally understood, but maintained that it was made to maximize her positive influence. “I can look back now, at 22, and tell 12 year old Eileen that there are now terrain parks full of little girls, who will never doubt their place in the sport. I can tell 15 year old me that there are now millions of girls who have started skiing since then, in China and worldwide,” she wrote.
“A lot of people won’t understand or believe that I made a decision to create the greatest amount of positive impact on the world stage that I could, at this age, given my interests and passions. Three golds and six medals later, I can confidently say what was once a dream is now a reality.”