25 athletes to watch in the Beijing Winter Olympics

Eileen Gu, an 18-year-old freestyle skier, is the defending world champion in the halfpipe and slopestyle events, and she will also compete in the big air event while at the Olympics. Gu was born in the United States and her father is American, but in 2019 she decided that she would compete for China, where her mother was born. She called it «a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love.»Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Updated 0035 GMT (0835 HKT) January 27, 2022

Eileen Gu, an 18-year-old freestyle skier, is the defending world champion in the halfpipe and slopestyle events, and she will also compete in the big air event while at the Olympics. Gu was born in the United States and her father is American, but in 2019 she decided that she would compete for China, where her mother was born. She called it «a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love.»Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Nearly 3,000 athletes from 90 nations will be competing at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Here are 25 we'll be keeping a close eye on when the Games start in February. Most of these athletes have starred at previous Olympics. Some are competing for the first time.

Ester Ledecká (Czech Republic): Four years ago, Ledecká became the first athlete in history to compete in both snowboarding and alpine skiing in the same Olympics. And she won gold in both, winning the super-G skiing event and then following it up with a victory in parallel giant slalom. It had been 90 years since anyone claimed gold in two different sports at the same Winter Games. Now 26, Ledecká will try to make history in what is her third Olympics.Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty ImagesErin Jackson (United States): Jackson, the world's top-ranked speedskater