“You can kind of hear it in my voice. I sound a little questionable,” Eileen Gu remarked during the X Games livestream on YouTube earlier this year. She spoke of a lingering fever, sleepless nights, and the toll of competing through illness, before admitting, “It’s time to take my mental health, take my physical health, prioritize it, and come back stronger next year.” Her words, delivered after withdrawing from events in Aspen, gave the skiing world a candid glimpse of an athlete who has been repeatedly interrupted by crashes, bruises, and long recoveries.

The Aspen withdrawal was not her first. In 2023, she endured a brutal training crash that left her with an MCL strain, ACL strain, and a bone bruise, forcing her to exit the Winter X Games. The disappointment among spectators was palpable, as she had become one of the most anticipated names on the program. Yet even then, Gu’s resilience and commercial rise, including a place as the second-highest earning female athlete in 2023 with $22.1 million, kept her in the public eye. But now, the cycle has returned with even greater severity.

American-born Chinese skier and Olympic champion Eileen Gu was injured on August 15 while training at the Cardrona Skifield in New Zealand. The 21-year-old, who won two gold medals for China at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, was flown the next day to Christchurch for medical imaging. On her Weibo account, followed by more than 6.7 million people, she revealed, “Unfortunately, a very terrible accident occurred yesterday due to a man-made accident. Early this morning we flew to Christchurch for a medical imaging examination. I hope I can return to the snow soon, but I’m still waiting for the final confirmation of the expert team.”

Her latest statement suggested outside distractions might have contributed to her fall in New Zealand. “I have to concentrate fully during training, especially when I am preparing to start as it’s very dangerous to be interrupted,” she wrote. “In order to save time, I don’t have lunch breaks and try to use the bathroom as little as possible. So please don’t record or take photos while I’m training.” The remark hinted at the pressure of balancing preparation with the constant presence of fans and cameras.

Eileen Gu’s decision to represent China rather than the United States, announced in 2019, has remained central to her story. She formally requested the switch with the International Ski Federation, describing it as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to inspire young people in her mother’s homeland and to promote the development of winter sports there. The choice drew both admiration and criticism, yet it placed her at the heart of Beijing’s Games three years later, where she won two gold medals at just 18. She is now preparing to compete again for China at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina.

The path between her triumphs has been marked by persistent injury. Earlier this year, Gu disclosed that she had fought illness while competing, noting, “Coming straight off a World Cup, so just kind of all over the place. I had a fever last week for like five days. I don’t anymore. I’m not contagious anymore, guys. Don’t worry.”

In Aspen, too, she exited after colliding with the safety netting, later admitting to severe bruising. And more recently, a shoulder injury had kept her from participating in the Asian Winter Games.

From Aspen to Cardrona, the recurring theme has been fragility amid expectation. Gu’s story is one of extraordinary talent and equally extraordinary setbacks, a career that now stands at a crossroads between commercial stardom and the repeated threat of injury. Whether her return comes swiftly or is delayed, the skiing world waits, still captivated by the Olympic star who left Team USA to become China’s champion.

And Eileen Gu’s latest injury in New Zealand has reignited debate over her career setbacks, national allegiance, and future Olympic hopes.

Fans share their two cents as Eileen Gu’s shocking training accident leaves Olympic comeback in doubt

With the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina less than two years away, injuries at this stage raise doubts about readiness. That explains why one fan remarked, “Talk about the worst possible timing with the Olympics just round the corner.” Gu’s recurring health setbacks, from Aspen to New Zealand, cast uncertainty over her preparations and highlight the risk of losing competitive momentum so close to the Games.

After the Cardrona crash, Gu wrote on Weibo that “it’s very dangerous to be interrupted” and pleaded with fans not to film her during training. This fueled the reaction, “Gu’s post on Weibo suggested an over-enthusiastic fan may have played a role in her injury.” The message points to external distractions on the slopes, hinting that outside interference could have contributed to the accident’s severity.

Amidst all these, the decision to represent China instead of the United States has remained divisive since 2019. That backdrop convinced a netizen to comment, “Karma for taking China’s blood money despite being born and raised in America.” Critics have long framed her switch as financially motivated, and the latest injury has reignited those sentiments, with detractors linking her misfortune to the controversial choice of national allegiance.

Despite polarized opinions, Gu continues to enjoy strong support from fans around the world. In response to the New Zealand accident, one wrote, “Oh no, wishing Eileen Gu a speedy recovery!”  The sympathy many feel toward an athlete repeatedly tested by physical strain and setbacks. For supporters, her commercial success and Olympic glory outweigh the criticism, and her well-being remains the primary concern.

The sheer scale of the accident and Gu’s stature in skiing explain the reaction, “Big a– breaking news story!” As one of the sport’s biggest names, her injury would dominate headlines and spark widespread discussion. Beyond the crash itself, her profile as a global ambassador for winter sports, coupled with the timing before Olympic buildup, ensured the incident carried heightened news value across sporting circles.

Now, it’s time to tell how her future would pan out before the Winter Olympics. Let’s hope there are no more setbacks on the slope ahead!