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Chinese-American skier Eileen Gu nominated for ESPY award after rookie season medal haul as fellow Asian stars also feature

  • The 17-year-old, who won two world championships and two X Games gold medals earlier this year, is ‘incredibly grateful’ for the nomination
  • Tennis star Naomi Osaka, baseball phenom Shohei Ohtani and South Korean gold trio also in with a shot at coveted sports awards

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Eileen Ailing Gu of China after she finishes in first in the women’s freeski slopestyle final at the 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championship at Buttermilk Ski Resort in Aspen, Colorado in March. Photo: AFP
Andrew McNicol

Chinese-American skier Eileen Gu Ailing has been nominated for an Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) Award in this year’s “best athlete, women’s action sports” category.

The ESPY award winners are chosen via fan votes after the event’s select nominating committee vet the candidates. Last year’s edition was held virtually, but this time it returns with spectators under a New York City government-sanctioned Covid-19-restricted format on July 10.

Earlier this year, Gu became the first Chinese freeskier to win multiple golds at the FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships in March and the first Chinese to win at the X Games (and the only rookie in history to win three medals) in January.
She is largely considered the country’s biggest medal threat and event poster girl for the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, having announced aged 15 that she would be switching from the US national team to represent China at next year’s Games.
Eileen Gu Ailing of China with her medals on the podium after finishing first in the women’s freeski slopestyle final during at the 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championship at Buttermilk Ski Resort in Aspen, Colorado in March. Photo: AFP
Eileen Gu Ailing of China with her medals on the podium after finishing first in the women’s freeski slopestyle final during at the 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championship at Buttermilk Ski Resort in Aspen, Colorado in March. Photo: AFP

“Got nominated for my first ESPY!!! Feeling honoured and incredible grateful to @ESPN and all of my supporters. Go vote for me … under “Best Female Action Sports Athletes”... n tell ur friends n family to click my name too ;),” the US-born 17-year-old said on social media.

Joining Gu in the same category is former US teammate Chloe Kim, who won a 2018 Winter Games gold medal in snowboarding in her parents’ native South Korea and is the reigning halfpipe champion in four major events.

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