Gu Ailing shortlisted for Laureus World Action Sportsperson of Year

Olympic Freeski champion Gu Ailing was nominated for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year award, according to a shortlist released on Tuesday.

Gu, aged 18, became the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing history at Beijing 2022 with gold-medal performances in big air and halfpipe.

Following Beijing 2022, Gu took a break from competition in order to begin her studies at Stanford University. After the suspension, she returned to competition on January 19, 2023, winning two halfpipe titles at the FIS Freeski World Cup in Calgary, Canada. However, she pulled out of the X Games Aspen 2023 after sustaining a knee injury in training.

"Achieving the impossible has always been something that has drawn me in," Gu told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview ahead of the X Games 2023.

The Action Sportsperson of the Year shortlist is headed up by Chloe Kim, a two-time winner in the category who won her second-straight halfpipe Olympic gold medal in Beijing.

Alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin is on a shortlist of six for the Sportswoman of the Year award, while 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Lionel Messi is in the running for the Sportsman of the Year.