Freestyle skier Eileen Gu didn't have luck on her side as she lost her passport, but she went and won the Freeski Halfpipe World Cup anyway. The 18-year-old sports sensation and rising social media star is fresh from a new win at the Calgary event, proving her worth against American rival Hanna Faulhaber and marking the achievement on Instagram.
Eileen posted to reveal her passport mishap amid the celebrations, with a shot showing her in her skiwear and, well, probably smiling behind the mask.
Scroll for the photo. Eileen posed on a raised block and amid straw while holding up a black bottle of champagne. The star tipped to snag a Gold at the Beijing Olympics told her followers:
"Ending up on top of the World Cup podium after a lost passport, missed practices, and negative-degree (fahrenheit) temperatures feels like the perfect metaphorical representation of 2021🙃 Cheers to an unforgettable year despite its challenges! Forever grateful for the places I’ve seen, things I’ve learned, and ppl I’ve met along the way :) happy new year!!"
The new Louis Vuitton face, also modeling for lingerie brand Victoria's Secret right now, spoke up after the win, echoing what she told her IG followers and saying:
“You know 24 hours ago I was in a different country with a lost passport, I had no idea how I was even going to get here,” Gu said in an interview after her half-pipe win."
“I found it at the very last moment, got to my flight, I was the last person on my flight, forgot my phone charger, no mum, no coach – everything was just kind of chaotic," she added.
Gu, also a winner of the US Grand Prix and DewTour contests, continued with what most teen girls (or older!) will do - if you can, call your mom.
“Honestly this event was all about fun for me, I wanted to come out here and ski because it’s fun for me and I wanted to do it. That was the goal and I had a great time tonight,” she stated. “I’ve been calling my mum and my coach on the chairlift, I have some amazing friends here to support me, so we made it work.”
Eileen boasts 171,000 Instagram followers and is signed to IMG Models. In December 2021, she made headlines for stunning in a skintight latex swimsuit for luxury French label Louis Vuitton, also promoting the brand's bags in a separate promo. Gu, who attended the 2021 Met Gala, has also been shouting out her Victoria's Secret "family" - she joins stars including model Hailey Bieber and actress Priyanka Chopra in fronting the VS Collective.
For more from Eileen, give her Instagram a follow.
