Eileen Gu, a Chinese Olympic freestyle skier, revealed on Tuesday at the TIME100 Summit that she will serve as an advocate for the U.S. bid to host the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2030.
She told TIME senior sports writer Sean Gregory in New York City, "I believe that's a fantastic example of globalism and of our ability to use skiing, sport, and winter sports to bring people together."
During a period of intense geopolitical conflict between the United States and China, it is unusual for a famous Chinese official to support a U.S. cause.
The 18-year-old Gu stated that she did not regret representing China at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics instead of the United States.
This year, she became the first extreme sports athlete to win three medals, including two gold, at a single Olympic Games.
The debate surrounding her decision to ski for China in the Olympics despite being born in the United States accompanied her achievement.
By playing for China in the 2022 Olympic Games, Gu, whose mother is from Beijing, hopes to "inspire millions of young people, foster common understanding, develop communication, and forge friendships between nations."
While Gu has received widespread support in China, she has been scrutinized for evading concerns regarding her nationality and whether or not she still has American citizenship.
China prohibits dual citizenship, although there is no evidence that she surrendered her American citizenship.
As for Gu's future, she will not stop at Olympic dominance. She claims that in addition to enrolling at Stanford University in the autumn, she is now writing a book and is interested in international affairs and quantum physics.
"My prime purpose has always been to leave a positive legacy and to leave the world somewhat better than I found it," she explained.
The TIME100 Summit is the live event counterpart to the yearly TIME100 ranking of the world's 100 most influential people.
It brings together leaders from the global TIME100 community in order to highlight solutions and inspire action toward a better future.
While Gu was well accepted in China, she has consistently refused to address inquiries about her nationality and whether or not she retains U.S. citizenship.
This year's conference featured influential speakers from many fields, including politics, business, health and science, and culture, among others.
