Winter Olympics 2022 - Freestyle ski star Eileen Gu breaks the internet with big air gold for China

Updated 08/02/2022 at 14:44 GMT

Chinese social media platform Weibo, the host country’s version of Twitter, temporarily crashed after the 18-year-old face of the Games produced a move she had never attempted before in competition to secure gold in big air - which she hopes will be the first of three Olympic titles. Watch every moment of the Games on discovery+.

‘I am not crying, you are!’ - Gu claims gold medal on home snow

If there was any doubt that Eileen Gu is one of the biggest stars of the Beijing Winter Olympics, that can surely be put to rest now - after she broke the internet in China.

After winning what she hopes will be the first of three golds of the Games by taking victory in big air, the freestyle skier and model was flooded by congratulatory messages - which temporarily crashed social media channel Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.

On her final run, Gu landed a 1620 trick which she had never before attempted in competition, handing her victory by just 0.75 points ahead of Tess Ledeux of France.

Beijing 2022

‘Drama! Drama! Drama!’ – Re-live Gu’s remarkable Olympic Games

00:02:34

23/02/2022 at 15:00

"That was the best moment of my life. The happiest moment, day, whatever -- of my life. I just cannot believe what just happened," Gu told Olympics.com after the win.

As one of the most talented freestyle skiers on the planet, Gu was always going to have the spotlight on her, but that is amplified given she is American born and bred, but competing for China at the Games.

Questions on whether she still has dual nationality have been dodged, but Chinese authorities have been quick to congratulate the California native.

'It's a real honour' - Gu 'really happy' Peng Shuai watched her win Olympic gold

"We are glad to hear that Gu Ailing, a Beijing athlete, won a precious gold medal for the Chinese sports delegation and honoured for the country with her perfect performance in the final of the women's freestyle ski platform at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games," said the Beijing Municipal Government and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Beijing Committee.

Gu has quickly become a huge star in China and her stock will continue to rise when she takes part in the halfpipe and slopestyle competitions.

- - -

Watch every moment of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on discovery+

Beijing 2022