The Albany Gazette - 'What's the big deal?': Gu braces for granny's shrug at Beijing Olympics

Gu effortlessly topped freeski halfpipe qualification on Thursday and will compete in the final in front of her Chinese grandmother for the first time as she chases her third medal of the Games.

The 18-year-old, who in 2019 switched from representing the US to China, has already won one gold and one silver in Beijing and has become one of the biggest stars of the Games.

But she said her grandmother is unlikely to be moved by the massive attention and would probably be asking "what's the big deal?"

"She's tiny but she's so energetic, so happy all the time, the most positive force," Gu told reporters during one of her many interviews on Thursday.

"She'll want me to win for sure -- she's very competitive. More than anything, she'll be like 'why's everyone crowded around you? What's the big deal?'"

Gu said her grandmother has never watched her ski and "still hasn't accepted that I'm a professional skier".

But she said she will be "super honoured" to compete in front of her on Friday after booking her place in the final with a dominant performance in qualifying.

Gu set the standard with a first-run score of 93.75 before bettering it with 95.50 on her second attempt.

She said landing her first run was "a change", adding that her coaches thanked her for taking care of business with the minimum of fuss.

Canada's Rachael Karker finished second on 89.50, while Estonia's Kelly Sildaru was third on 87.50.

Gu said her distinctive pre-run routine of standing sideways with her hands on her hips as she takes a deep breath has helped her find peace amid the Olympic noise.

"I know people have been complaining about my drop-in routine taking a long time, but I do my visualisation and then I'll kind of just take a deep breath and take it all in," she said.

"I'm at the Olympics -- this is the dream. No matter what happens, this is the dream."

Competing in three events means Gu has had little time to relax, and she said she was hoping to "sleep well" before Friday's final.

Before then, she said she planned to eat, go to the gym, go for a run, write in her journal, play the piano, have a bath and talk to her best friend on the phone before going to bed.

Gu described herself as being "naturally pretty introverted" and said she can focus on her competitions when the time comes.

"I'm in my own world," she said.

"When I'm in my zone actually doing my thing, I don't hear anything, I don't see anything. I'm just doing what I'm doing."

(B.Hartmann--BBZ)