Eileen
Gu
China
·
Skiing
Date of birth | September 3, 2003 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | San Francisco, USA |
Age | 22 |
Nationality | China |
Career start | 2016 |
Disciplines | Freeskiing Big Air / Freeskiing Halfpipe |
Eileen Gu – also known by her Chinese name, Gu Ailing – was born in 2003 in San Francisco. Her father is American and her mother is Chinese.
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.
She earned her first World Cup victory at the FIS Freeski World Cup Slopestyle in Seiser Alm, Italy, when she was 15 in 2019. Then, on June 6, 2019, she announced that she would be representing China competitively. (Eileen had been competing for the U.S. in international events since the 2017–18 season.)
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 secured bronze in Big Air and claimed 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 recognized 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.
Kicking off 2025 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. With the 2026 Winter Games looming, it showed she's well on course to fight for medals in both slope and halfpipe.
Eileen Gu enjoys the sunshine on the slopes
© Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool
Eileen Gu 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