Eileen Gu opened up about channeling the legendary Kobe Bryant’s popular belief that the best athletes bear the shortest memories, treating every competition as their first. Gu will be in halfpipe action in the women’s halfpipe qualifiers on Feb. 19, and the finals the following day.
Gu is the only female entered in all three disciplines at the Winter Games this year. She has already bagged two medals in Milan-Cortina, becoming the only female freestyle skier with a historic five Olympic medals.
Eileen Gu Aims To Follow Kobe Bryant’s Athlete Formula in Bid for Sixth Medal
Gu has been on a medal-winning spree in the ongoing Games, earning two runner-up finishes in slopestyle and big air. Her wins don’t just put her name on the map but also pave the way for many young girls in China to dream big.
In an interview with Yahoo Sports, the 22-year-old Gu cited the late American basketball legend, Bryant, who believed that the secret to the most successful athletes was their short-term memory, treating every game as if it were their first, and continuing to shine in each moment.
She has also been channeling the same at the Games, competing back-to-back without tiring herself. The 22-year-old said:
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“This is why I run so much. You know, I do three events, I build up my VO2 max, I work hard so that I can go back to back to back and compete for three weeks with no off days and hopefully stay fresh throughout. So yeah, I think it was Kobe who said the best athletes have the shortest memory, and that’s what I’m trying to channel. I have goldfish mode, you know, I finish this one, and I’m straight into the next as if it’s my first one.”
Gu has only one shot to bring home a gold from the Milan-Cortina Games.
The US-born freeskier, Gu, who competes for her mother’s country, noted that her fifth medal win was extra special because it came on Chinese New Year. She also shared that the day represents new beginnings, and hers was competing in the big air event after four years and earning a medal.
Gu competes for China to be a role model for people who may not yet have the kind of representation that many Americans already have across various fields. She often talks about bringing more eyes to the sport and showing the people, especially Chinese girls, what’s possible. Gu is one of the highest-earning athletes in the Winter Games.
