Eileen Gu, the California-born athlete who won two gold medals for China in freestyle skiing at the recent Beijing Olympics, has signed on to work for Salt Lake City's bid for the 2030 or 2034 Winter Olympics.
Tom Kelly, a spokesman for the bid committee, confirmed Gu's participation to The Associated Press on Tuesday as an "athlete representative." Gu made the announcement earlier at the Time100 Summit, calling herself an "ambassador." "She is working with us," Kelly said, "but we haven't chosen her exact title." The choice could be controversial — or inspired.
In announcing her role with Salt Lake at the Time event, she said skiing and her position with the bid committee was a "beautiful example of globalism." Gu is expected to attend Stanford University this fall.
Her passport status has come under scrutiny. China does not officially allow dual citizenship, and Gu has never clarified if she still holds American citizenship, has renounced it, or if she has a Chinese passport. WATCH | Gu soars to big air gold in Beijing: The state-controlled Chinese media never seemed to raise the issue, initially welcoming the medals she won for her mother's homeland.