Eileen Gu, a renowned freeskier, expresses disappointment over the International Ski and Snowboard Federation's (FIS) inability to accommodate her packed Olympics schedule. Gu, a three-discipline athlete, is signed up for slopestyle, halfpipe, and big air. The issue arises as the big air final on Monday overlaps with the first of three, three-hour halfpipe training sessions, scheduled for the following week. Gu, who won silver in slopestyle earlier in the week, sought compromises, such as joining snowboarders' training on the halfpipe, but FIS refused, citing fairness concerns. She emphasizes the importance of the Olympics as a platform for aspiration and celebrates extraordinary achievements, rather than punishing them. FIS, however, argues that conflicts are inevitable for athletes competing in multiple disciplines. This situation mirrors a previous Olympics incident where Ester Ledeckah faced a similar dilemma, choosing between snowboarding and skiing. Gu, born in the United States but competing for China, hasn't skied on a halfpipe since a World Cup event in December and hasn't competed in big air since Beijing. She highlights the differences between halfpipe and big air, emphasizing the former's complexity and danger. Gu's World Cup victories predominantly come from halfpipe events. Despite the challenges, Gu remains focused on her schedule, which includes a breakneck pace with or without the halfpipe training session. The big air final on Monday is followed by halfpipe qualifiers on Thursday and the final on Saturday, making her the last to headline the 25 medal events in the action-sports park. Gu expresses her frustration, stating that the current schedule is unfair and punishes excellence, making it impossible to train fairly for the third event.
