A 17-year-old daredevil could be China's next Olympic star
CORRECTS TO THE ASPEN TIMES, NOT THE ASPEN DAILY NEWS - Winter X Games rookie Eileen Gu prepares to drop into the superpipe during women's finals at the 2021 Winter X Games Aspen on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Aspen, Colo. Gu took home the gold in her first superpipe final. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times via AP)

CORRECTS TO THE ASPEN TIMES, NOT THE ASPEN DAILY NEWS - Winter X Games rookie Eileen Gu prepares to drop into the superpipe during women's finals at the 2021 Winter X Games Aspen on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Aspen, Colo. Gu took home the gold in her first superpipe final. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times via AP)

Jan. 30, 2021 12:14 PM EST
CORRECTS TO THE ASPEN TIMES, NOT THE ASPEN DAILY NEWS - Winter X Games rookie Eileen Gu celebrates after her last run during the women's finals at the 2021 Winter X Games Aspen on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Aspen, Colo. Gu took home the gold in her first superpipe final. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times via AP)

CORRECTS TO THE ASPEN TIMES, NOT THE ASPEN DAILY NEWS - Winter X Games rookie Eileen Gu celebrates after her last run during the women's finals at the 2021 Winter X Games Aspen on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Aspen, Colo. Gu took home the gold in her first superpipe final. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times via AP)

Jan. 30, 2021 12:12 PM EST
CORRECTS TO THE ASPEN TIMES, NOT THE ASPEN DAILY NEWS - Winter X Games rookie Eileen Gu airs out of the superpipe during women's finals at the 2021 Winter X Games Aspen on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Aspen, Colo. Gu took home the gold in her first superpipe final. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times via AP)

CORRECTS TO THE ASPEN TIMES, NOT THE ASPEN DAILY NEWS - Winter X Games rookie Eileen Gu airs out of the superpipe during women's finals at the 2021 Winter X Games Aspen on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Aspen, Colo. Gu took home the gold in her first superpipe final. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times via AP)

Jan. 30, 2021 12:12 PM EST
FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2020 file photo, Eileen Gu, left, of China, gold medal winner and Megan Oldham, of Canada, bronze winner, celebrate after the women's slopestyle at a World Cup freestyle skiing event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Gu, who hails from San Francisco but has roots in China, broke through Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 to become a Winter X-Games champion on the halfpipe. Next February, she will be on the short list of gold-medal contenders at the Beijing Olympics. (Dave Chidley/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2020 file photo, Eileen Gu, left, of China, gold medal winner and Megan Oldham, of Canada, bronze winner, celebrate after the women's slopestyle at a World Cup freestyle skiing event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Gu, who hails from San Francisco but has roots in China, broke through Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 to become a Winter X-Games champion on the halfpipe. Next February, she will be on the short list of gold-medal contenders at the Beijing Olympics. (Dave Chidley/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Jan. 30, 2021 09:38 AM EST
FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2020 file photo, Eileen Gu, of China, competes in the finals of the women's slopestyle at a World Cup freestyle skiing event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Gu, who hails from San Francisco but has roots in China, broke through Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 to become a Winter X-Games champion on the halfpipe. Next February, she will be on the short list of gold-medal contenders at the Beijing Olympics.(Dave Chidley/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2020 file photo, Eileen Gu, of China, competes in the finals of the women's slopestyle at a World Cup freestyle skiing event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Gu, who hails from San Francisco but has roots in China, broke through Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 to become a Winter X-Games champion on the halfpipe. Next February, she will be on the short list of gold-medal contenders at the Beijing Olympics.(Dave Chidley/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Jan. 30, 2021 09:38 AM EST