Eileen
Gu
China
·
Skiing
Date of birth | 3 September 2003 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | San Francisco, USA |
Age | 22 |
Nationality | China |
Career start | 2016 |
Disciplines | Freeskiing Big Air / Freeskiing Halfpipe |
A prodigious talent since her childhood days, Eileen Gu has now cemented her place as one of the most defining athletes of her generation. While six medals – three of them gold – have made her the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history, the Chinese-American superstar has also emerged as a global cultural icon, redefining modern sport by blending elite freestyle skiing with academics, modelling, and entrepreneurship.
Born in San Francisco to an American father and a Chinese mother, Eileen started skiing when she was only three years old and became champion of the junior group of the USA Snowboard and Freeski Association at the age of nine, before entering the senior ranks when she was just 13.
At the age of 15 in January 2019, she earned her first World Cup victory at the FIS Freeski World Cup Slopestyle in Seiser Alm, Italy. In June of that year, Eileen decided to switch competitive allegiance to China, having previously represented the US.
Professional freestyle skier and dedicated student
Proving her dedication to the sport, Eileen set herself the goal of graduating after completing two years of high school in just one year. A feat she duly accomplished.
While still in high school, Eileen put down a real statement of intent at the 2020 Youth Games in Lausanne, Switzerland, taking Halfpipe gold and Slopestyle silver. She then further cemented her credentials at her first X Games appearance at the 2021 event in Aspen, making history as the first-ever female rookie to win three medals after taking gold in both Ski Slopestyle and Superpipe, as well as a bronze in Ski Big Air.
Two months later Eileen once again demonstrated her huge potential, securing bronze in Big Air and claiming gold in both the Halfpipe and Slopestyle competition at the FIS Freestyle Skiing World Championship in Aspen.
The 2021-22 campaign saw her take her first-ever crystal globe from the FIS World Cup. She put together a flawless Halfpipe season to finish undefeated.
Eileen deferred entry into Stanford University until the summer of 2022 in order to focus on the Winter Games in Beijing. That decision paid off big time, with gold medals in Freeski Halfpipe and Freeski Big Air and silver in Freeski Slopestyle. Her incredible achievements were recognised at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards, with Eileen winning the Action Sportsperson of the Year award.
In 2024, Eileen won first place in the Halfpipe competition at the Winter X Games. The same year, she was on the podium for FIS Freeskiing World Cup events, four of which she was on the top step.
A cultural icon
With her dual identity, sporting achievements and fashion icon status – she has recently appeared on the cover of TIME and Vogue – Eileen is also enjoying flipping the script and inspiring the next generation.
"I was so fortunate that I got to pick the three things that I love most, sports, academics and fashion, and just make that into my life,” she told CNN during an interview. “It makes me feel like I have a responsibility to other young women and other young people, frankly, to allow them to uplift their own voices too.”
Eileen the history-maker
Kicking off 2026 in style, Eileen made a rare return to slopestyle competition at the annual Laax Open in Switzerland and proved she's still a world-beating operator in the discipline by dominating the field to claim victory - her second successive victory in the competiton, after also dominating in 2025.
After capturing another gold in the women’s halfpipe and picking up silver medals in both slopestyle and big air at the 2026 Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, Eileen has written her name into the record books at the age of just 22.
Eileen Gu enjoys the sunshine on the slopes
© Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool
On the half pipe in Kitzsteinhorn
© Syo van Vliet/Red Bull Content Pool
Sending it to slopestyle victory at the Laax Open
© Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool
Preparing to shred
© Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool