China's Skiing Demon Eileen Gu Eyes Beijing 2022 Gold in Louis Vuitton Twist Bag Campaign AOC Fashion

Louis Vuitton ambassador Eileen Gu has closed in on two key life goals at age 18.. The two-time freestyle world champion has always wanted to attend Stanford University — and she will be, as a legacy applicant. Second for Gu was to qualify for the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, leaving Team USA to represent China.

In these images for Louis Vuitton, Eileen Gu is styled by Victoria Sekrier in images by Carlijn Jacobs. Creative direction by Charles Levai and Kevin Tekinel./ Hair by Olivier Schawalder; makeup by Min Kim

In 2019, the U.S.-born Gu announced she would switch national affiliations and compete for China in 2022. Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal probed the topic of whether Eileen Gu has given up her American citizenship, so represent China. The situation for Gu is largely similar to Naomi Osaka’s, who did give up her American citizenship to represent Japan at the 2021 Summer Olympics. Gu deflects any questions on her actual citizenship status, writes WSJ. Osaka did give up her American passport.

“This was an incredibly tough decision for me to make,” Gu wrote in an Instagram post at the time. She said she hoped her move would help “inspire millions of young people where my mom was born,” especially young girls. Through skiing, she added, she wanted to “unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations.”

Gu is such a high-flying IMG ace, that her background puts her at the top of marketing opportunities in the world’s two largest economies. And she could help China whip the US in the upcoming medal count.