Eileen Gu Leads SF Chinatown Parade as Grand Marshal After Olympic Fame

Gold medalist Eileen Gu, born in San Francisco, returns to lead the city’s Chinese New Year Parade as grand marshal after her Olympic success; she lit firecrackers at Union Square to kick off the event amid lingering online backlash over representing China. The 1.5-mile parade with 17 floats is expected to draw up to 1 million attendees, making it the largest Lunar New Year celebration in the U.S., and it takes place under the Year of the Fire Horse theme as Gu balances Stanford studies and a modeling career while celebrating her hometown roots.