One of the faces of the Games: Eileen Gu © APA/afp / ADEK BERRY

China's Olympic star: catwalk, physics and the hunt for gold

As the child of two superpowers, Eileen Gu is guaranteed attention. At the Beijing Winter Games, the 18-year-old Chinese skier, who grew up and lives in the USA, withstood the immense pressure from the host nation, winning two gold medals in Big Air and Halfpipe. Now, the international star of freestyle skiing aims to shine once again.

February 05, 2026

From: apa

If you include her followers on Chinese social media platforms, Eileen Gu surpasses even Lindsey Vonn in global reach. The San Francisco-born daughter of an American father and a Chinese mother is one of the most dazzling figures in these games. According to Forbes By 2025, with an annual salary of $23,1 million, she will be among the highest-paid female athletes in the world – behind three tennis players.

The 22-year-old – who goes by the name Gu Ailing in China – is also a model in the public eye. She studied quantum physics and international development at the prestigious Stanford University. She certainly doesn't lack ambition. She stated years ago that she wants to give her best in everything she does. This is one reason why her preparation for the Games in Northern Italy wasn't ideal. In addition to injuries, her studies also limited her training time, as Gu wrote on Instagram a few days ago. But she's here now "to have as much fun as possible and fully enjoy this experience."

An acrobat: Eileen Gu © APA/afp / ADEK BERRY

The road to gold likely leads only through the Chinese skier. Four years ago, she added a silver medal in slopestyle to her double gold. Gu thus became the first female freeskier to win three medals in a single Olympic event and the youngest freestyle Olympic champion ever. She gained her confidence back then in the Stubai Valley. In the lead-up to the Games, Gu landed a "Double Cork 1440" there, becoming the first woman in history to do so – a jump with two flips and four rotations around her own axis.

Gu only makes sporadic appearances in the World Cup. Most recently, she had to compete in Laax to even qualify for the Olympic slopestyle event. "She won that quickly," reported Lara Wolf, Austria's sole representative in the women's freeskiing competition. "I often wonder how she does it mentally, and what strategies she uses. She's incredibly strong mentally and pulls off tricks that require a lot of courage."

Discussion about changing nationality

The fact that the California native decided to run for China in 2019 after completing her studies in the US sparked discussions that have continued for years. Gu herself has always stated that she sees herself as a mediator between the two superpowers, which are not exactly friendly with each other. "No one can deny that I am American. No one can deny that I am Chinese," she said in 2022. Or: "In the US, I am American; in China, I am Chinese."

Eileen Gu is the dominant figure in the freestyle scene. © APA/afp / ODD ANDERSEN

Her nationality remains a mystery. Dual citizenship is officially not permitted in China. Gu has never explicitly addressed whether she ever renounced her US citizenship. "It's unfortunate that people are more fixated on my nationality than on my achievements," she stated. Upon arriving in Livigno, she wrote that her mission remains unchanged: to inspire more young people (especially girls) to take up freeskiing, to promote women's skiing, and to represent it with distinction on the world stage.