Eileen Gu Criticizes Unfair and Confusing Olympic Schedule
Chinese skier Eileen Gu has raised serious concerns regarding the Olympic schedule for freeski events at the Milan Cortina Olympics. According to Gu, the current program is illogical and presents unfair challenges for athletes, particularly herself.
Eileen Gu Criticizes Olympic Schedule for Freeski Events
After qualifying for the big air final, Gu expressed frustration over the timing of her events. The final for big air is set for Monday, which conflicts with training sessions for her preferred halfpipe event.
Training Conflicts
- Big air finals occur simultaneously with halfpipe training.
- Gu can only attend two out of three scheduled training sessions for halfpipe before the qualification round on Thursday.
- The halfpipe training sessions span three days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) and last three hours each.
“The halfpipe training completely overlaps with big air finals,” Gu stated. She is concerned that this overlap places her at a disadvantage. This becomes particularly prominent since she must qualify for the finals while sacrificing crucial practice time.
Gu’s Efforts for Schedule Adjustments
Gu attempted to address these scheduling conflicts with the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Despite making efforts to seek alternative training options, such as joining snowboarder training sessions, Gu was met with resistance.
FIS acknowledged receiving communication from Gu’s team but stated, “This is not possible to do.” Bruno Sassi, FIS communications director, emphasized the complexity of constructing an Olympic competition schedule. He acknowledged that conflicts may arise for athletes competing in multiple events.
Gu’s Olympic Journey
The 22-year-old is competing in three freeski events: slopestyle, halfpipe, and big air. She won a silver medal in slopestyle earlier in the competition.
Gu’s situation underscores the challenges faced by multi-discipline athletes at the Olympics, particularly regarding training and competition fairness. With the goal of making dreams come true, she believes that the current scheduling does not support this ideal.
Overall, Eileen Gu’s experience highlights the need for ongoing discussions about event scheduling, ensuring fairness for all athletes competing in diverse categories during the Winter Games.
