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Gu Ailing's past and present lives

author:Aerial photograph of Luo S

Source: Eileen CHAMPION Sports Illustrated

Some people live in China, but they use foreign status to choose concubines and hurt women.

Some live in the United States, but they are determined to win more gold medals for China.

1

For many people, the name Gu Ailing is no longer unfamiliar.

She has the face of a mixed-race little princess who kills both East and West, but it is pure desire.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

With a height of 171cm and a weight of 104 pounds, he can be called the perfect supermodel.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives
Gu Ailing's past and present lives

More importantly, the little girl has long been famous in the skiing industry, starting to win world championships at the age of 16 and now holding 12 gold medals; I can't hold it in either hand.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives
Gu Ailing's past and present lives

is not only an athlete, but also a super student, with a full score of 20 points in the American college entrance examination SAT score, admitted to the Ivy League famous Stanford University;

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Because of his outstanding appearance, he is also the darling of the fashion circle, taking blockbusters of various brands and fashion magazines.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives
Gu Ailing's past and present lives
Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Although she was selected into Forbes' "30 Under 30 Elite List" last year, she is still under 18 years old.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

From the age of 16, she chose to belong to her mother's hometown, became a Chinese national, and vowed to win the Olympic championship for her motherland.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Her story, let's start at the beginning.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

2

On September 3, 2003, Gu Ailing was born in San Francisco, USA, and was a cute little fat girl when she was a child.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

She started skiing at the age of 3 and freestyle skiing at the age of 8, only to find that combining the genes of oriental physical flexibility and western strength, she is simply a unique talent in the field of skiing.

At the age of 9, she competed in the All-American Ski Race, winning the junior freestyle skiing category.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Gu Ailing when she was a child

Her sport is freestyle skiing, which is quite difficult and dangerous, but very ornamental, tossing and turning in the air, performing all kinds of tricks, really cool and handsome.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

In the 2017-2018 season, she was able to represent the U.S. team in international ski competitions.

In January 2019, 15-year-old Gu Ailing won the FIS World Cup women's slopestyle competition, which was also the beginning of her ascent.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

In addition to being an athlete, his brain is also very good. And he's a time management guru.

In order to have more training time, she was stunned to compress the last two years of high school into one year.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Tell me about her college entrance examination.

On the day she took the American college entrance examination SAT, she had a situation, she couldn't get a car on a rainy day, and the result was that for athletes, it was difficult for her, she simply used "running", panting and running to the examination room, the exam had just begun.

As a result, she was admitted to Stanford University, a prestigious American school, with a high score of 1580 (out of 1600), and became an alumnus of her mother.

But in 2019, she made a world-shocking decision to represent China.

This matter actually has a lot to do with her mother Gu Yan.

Gu Yan, a native of Beijing, went to the United States to study biochemistry after graduating from Peking University, and later studied MBA at Stanford. As a result, he became a family with an American guy who graduated from Harvard, and this led to his baby daughter Gu Ailing.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Gu Ailing and mother Gu Yan

As a top student, my mother is also a ski fan, and she has also worked as a ski instructor, and is Gu Ailing's ski enlightenment instructor.

Many foreign media think that Gu Ailing's participation in China was arranged by her mother, but in fact, this is completely her own idea.

When I was a child, the communication with my mother was usually Ailing putting forward her own ideas, her mother would always ask her why, after listening to the reason, if she agreed, it was no problem, if she didn't agree so much, she would give her several more assumptions, and finally she would support Ailing's own choice.

As she put it in her heartwarming words: "I know that children all over the world think their mother is the best mother, but I really think my mother is the best mother... I'm sorry for other moms, but my mom is better than you. ”

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Every summer vacation, Gu Ailing and her mother go back to her grandmother's house in Beijing, and since childhood, they have spoken more Beijing dialect than the editor, tongue twisters, living in hutongs, wearing printed cheongsam, visiting Sijiu City, and eating xiaolongbao, which is no different from authentic Beijing chicks.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

She also made a lot of good friends in China, and she learned to make dumplings with her grandmother.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

When she was a child, every time she met a neighbor in the alley, everyone praised her for her good looks, like a "doll", she would tell them very seriously: "I am not a doll, I am like you, I am a Chinese." ”

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Beijing is like a mirror that always allows her to see the other side of herself.

On a summer night, running more than ten kilometers in one breath, running from home to Tiananmen Square, or playing a hearty basketball game, returning home at 90 o'clock, and taking out half of a watermelon from the refrigerator with my mother and nibbling on it, it was extremely painful!

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Gu Ailing, who likes to play basketball since she was a child

In 2015, Beijing joined hands with Zhangjiakou to win the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. Gu Ailing, who was only 12 years old at the time, lived at her grandmother's house in Beijing during the summer vacation as usual.

Seeing reports that the Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing, 300 million people will be on ice and snow, which is a number that Gu Ailing at that age could not imagine, which left a very deep impression on her, and it was this initial impression that made her make her own choice in 2019.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

In early June 2019, Gu Ailing, who had already won the world championship and was at her peak, announced on social accounts at home and abroad that she had decided to become a Chinese citizen and represent China in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

As a result, this decision sparked thousands of waves with one stone, foreign media rushed to report, huge controversy quickly swept the 16-year-old girl, many foreigners were puzzled by the choice of supernova, all kinds of abuse and accusations and even many online violence also surged in.

However, Gu Ailing has a determination beyond her peers, and is not moved, just training silently.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Two months later, she won three freeski titles in New Zealand and stood on the podium as a Chinese athlete.

In 2020, at the Lausanne Winter Youth Olympic Games, Gu Ailing won 2 golds and 1 silver for China.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

In January 2021, Gu Ailing participated in the X Games for the first time in the Winter X Games, making history again.

She is the only rookie to compete in skiing and the only female athlete to compete in three events this year.

The youngest, Gu Ailing, used the most difficult moves to win gold medals in the halfpipe and slopestyle competitions, and bronze medals in the big air competition, and pocketed three medals in one fell swoop.

This is the first time China has won a gold medal at the Winter X Games.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

How good is Gu Ailing's skiing skills?

She can do doubleflips and 1260 degree rotations, which is the top difficulty in today's sports, and only 5 of the female players have completed it.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Two months later, she won two golds and one bronze at the 2021 World Freestyle Skiing Championships, once again changing the history of Chinese athletes with zero championships in this competition.

Flowers and applause poured in, but who knew she set a world championship record with a fracture in her right hand.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

3

Many people like to call her "genius girl", and in addition to thanks, Gu Ailing sometimes feels a little unfair.

"Every time you see me just winning another gold medal, or a happy moment, it feels easy, but in fact, I also have a lot of things that are difficult to overcome, many people are invisible, and more than 99% of them are hard work."

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

late night to early morning, lonely long-distance running physical training;

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

It was countless heavy falls, patted on the ice;

Talent is the love of fate, but the glory of a genius girl comes from her day-to-day, extremely self-disciplined life management.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Gu Ailing said that the most important thing in life is to find a thing you like to do, and then enjoy it.

Ling, Bing Xue, as her own name suggests, she found her favorite sport of skiing and was happy with the hard work in the process.

In fact, Gu Ailing, who calls herself "Frog Princess", always emphasizes that she is just an ordinary child.

Although she may often have to lose her childish side, this talented athlete who has left a glorious record in the history of Chinese sports is only a lively and cheerful girl in life.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Her parents encouraged her to try more and find what she really liked, so Gu Ailing also dabbled in many sports. Trail running, archery, basketball, football, horseback riding, rock climbing, surfing, etc., are all her hobbies.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Now after becoming famous, he is also greatly favored by the fashion circle, and has become another person across the sports circle and the fashion industry.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Frequently appeared in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle and other magazines.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives
Gu Ailing's past and present lives
Gu Ailing's past and present lives
Gu Ailing's past and present lives

As an athlete, a student, and a public figure across the fashion world, even her coach admires her daily energy.

Busy like this, Gu Ailing still has to sleep 10 hours a day, and in the rest of the time, she can do what others can only do in 18 hours.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

In addition to the magnesium light, Gu Ailing is just an ordinary girl who loves food, dresses up, and sharing.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

She also added Chinese elements such as Chinese characters and lanterns to her beloved skis, recognizing her Chinese identity from the bottom of her heart.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

Since Gu Ailing became a Chinese national, she has won 16 world medals for China, including 11 gold medals.

This is the traffic idol that should be in this era.

Gu Ailing's past and present lives

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