Ailing (Eileen) Gu goes viral having lunch during qualifying - Chinese superstar reveals her Beijing 2022 "travel essential"

This is not how Beijing 2022 superstar Ailing (Eileen) Gu had envisioned the women's freestyle ski slopestyle qualifying going.

A disappointing first run on Tuesday (14 February) left her on the verge of missing the final. Her second run would be decisive. As she reached the finish area, the 2021 world champion knew she had improved, but would it be enough?

TV viewers around the globe didn't see the Chinese freeskier sporting a nervous glance or air of relief... they instead saw her eating.

"I didn't have time to stay in the lodge and eat lunch. I brought lunch at the bottom [and] was eating while I was waiting for the score," Gu shared with Olympics.com, explaining that a weather delay had caused changes to her practice schedules and meal times in the Genting Snow Park.

"I compete in three events, and so because slopestyle got pushed back, it actually interfered with [halfpipe] training. So pipe training had already started when I was starting my second run of [slopestyle] qualifiers.

"I am a very aggressive practiser. Some people take it more easy during practise. But for me personally..., practice is 'Go, go, go.' So I know I wouldn't have time [to eat]. I kind of skipped all the media. I think I set a world record for making it through the media zone, I was like, 'Sorry, sorry, sorry.'"

Gu's scores were good enough to see her through to Tuesday's final, and she did admit to nerves, but it wasn't just in the finish area that the big air gold medallist was inhaling lunch.

"I was eating on the T-bar (surface lift to the halfpipe). I was done by the time I got to the top, and was ready to drop it immediately, so had a good couple of hours of pipe practice."

When pictures of her hasty snack went viral on the @Olympics social media handles, Gu replied: "Girls gotta eat".

Gu isn't the only athlete in Zhangjiakou to have spoken about the need to eat on the slopes. USA snowboarder Chloe Kim revealed she also had food cravings, immediately after claiming the halfpipe gold medal.

Ailing (Eileen) Gu's travel essential item

Food is a common theme when speaking to Gu. In addition to sharing that her lunch was "a kind of rice noodle with Chinese chives", she told us the one item that stays in her bag throughout the Games.

"My white truffle oil is travel-essential," Gu reveals with a smile.

"I have it with me. I use it for breakfast and dinner. I didn't bring it for lunch because I felt like that would be borderline excessive."

It's not her most prized possession though.

"My gold medal from big air is probably my most prized possession right now," the 18-year-old said, but also made special mention of a gift given to her at these Winter Games.

"There's this one gold pin that I got, I put it on my Instagram Story. It's like the Beijing 2022 gold pin and it has like rhinestones around it. It's very rare. I got it from a volunteer, so that one I love a lot."

"You're never too young to make change"

Gu has received praise for her inspirational comments after winning the big air gold at her home Games.

And she had some words of encouragement for everyone who has supported her, 'friends' around the world including where she lives in America.

"Find your passion. Follow it. Try to find your voice and make change with it.

"You're never too young to make change, so if you're a young person, go out there and do your thing. Make the world a better place."