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Eileen Gu, the American-born Olympic skier who chose to represent Team China at the Winter Games, was honored at the Chinese New Year celebrations in San Francisco on Saturday.
Gu was the grand marshal of the show and revealed in an interview before the festivities what the honor meant to him.
“This is something special to be a grand marshal, and to be a part of,” he told KGO-TV.
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Olympic gold medalist and grand marshal Eileen Gu waves at the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Gu recalled that he attended the event with his family when he was young and the times his mother and grandmother cooked in the kitchen.
The three-time gold medalist told the station that he is focused on making a big impact on the world.
“My main goal has always been to make as much positive impact on the world stage as I can,” he said. “Currently, that takes the form of sports, fashion and education.”
Gu has come under fire during the Olympics, receiving criticism for buying the opportunity to compete on Team USA and represent the country of his birth.
He thought about the decision last week.
“I gave my first talk about 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 to Friday, I became best friends with my teammates on the weekends through the common language of sports,” Gu wrote on Instagram.
Eileen Gu celebrates during the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Gu continued to be grateful for the one season he competed in the US
“When I was 15 years old, I announced my decision to compete against China. At that time, I had spent one season on the US team, and I was lucky enough to meet my heroes in person. I am forever grateful for that time, and I continue to maintain a close relationship with the team. I spent every summer in China since I was 8 years old, setting up summer camps on the trampoline and the dry slope, from 4 to 7 years old, from the years 4 years old to 7 years old, from 4 years old to 7 years old I felt like I knew everyone,” he added.
“Skiing on the Chinese team meant an opportunity to promote the culture of the sport around the world, and to introduce freeskiing to hundreds of millions of people who had never heard of it, especially as the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics approached.”
Gu’s statement concluded by acknowledging that some people “don’t understand” his decision to favor China over the US, while insisting that his choice increased his potential influence.
“I can look back now, at the age of 22, and tell 12-year-old Eileen that there are now national parks full of little girls, who will never doubt their place in the sport. I can tell a 15-year-old that there are now millions of girls who have started skiing since then, in China and around the world,” Gu wrote.
Gold medalist Ailing Eileen Gu of the People’s Republic of China celebrates during the women’s skiing halfpipe medal ceremony at the Winter Olympics on Feb. 22, 2026. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
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“Many people will not understand or believe that I made the decision to create a large amount of positive impact on the world stage that I could not, at this age, given my interests and hobbies. Three golds and six medals later, I can say with confidence that what was a dream is now a reality.”
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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