Gu grabs more history for China

Canada's Rachael Karker was second (91.75), with Britain's Zoe Atkin (90.50) third.

Gu was born and raised in San Francisco, California, but announced in 2019 that she would compete for China, her mother's native country.

The grade-A, Stanford-bound student has previously spoken of her deep connection with her Chinese roots.

"I was raised bilingual, and spent every summer in Beijing, so I know Chinese culture and American culture as well. So I have that dual identity, where together two halves make a whole for me," Gu said after her double gold at the X-Games, where she also picked up a bronze medal.

She has said her decision to compete for China was also partly influenced by the country's plan to attract 300 million people to ice and snow sports in the buildup to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. She even hopes to "use sports as a bridge" between the United States and China.

First and foremost, though, Team China will hope Gu can reign on the slopes surrounding Beijing at next year's Winter Olympics.

Topping the podium at Beijing 2022, however, is likely to prove more difficult than the worlds, where two of Gu's major rivals－Canada's Cassie Sharpe and Estonia's Kelly Sildaru were absent due to injuries.

It seems certain that whatever the outcome at next year's Olympics, the highly marketable Gu－who is also a fashion model and accomplished long-distance runner and basketball player－will be one of the main attractions for both global and domestic audiences.

Gu was scheduled to go for glory again at the worlds in the Big Air event, with qualification scheduled for Monday ahead of the final on Tuesday.