Meet Eileen Gu, the Chinese-American freeski prodigy rewriting history (2024)

Eileen Gu is a once-in-a-generation freestyle skier. From becoming the first-ever freeskier to win three medals at a single Winter Games to appearing on the covers of Vogue Hong Kong and China’s In Style Magazine all while studying quantum physics at Stanford University, the 20-year-old Chinese-American sensation is continuously redefining what it means to be an athlete.

Continue reading to learn how Gu continues to dominate the international Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air scenes, how she's forged herself a successful modelling career and how she empowers a new generation of athletes.

Gu’s freeski career began in California’s Lake Tahoe region at the age of three. At eight, she joined the Northstar California Resort freeskiing team, and won her first national championship a year later.

While most freeskiers come from a racing background, her mother, Yan Gu, sent her straight to the park as she thought racing was too dangerous.

Hear Gu in conversation with freeski legend Bobby Brown:

At just 17 years old, Gu shocked international freeskiing when she became the first Chinese athlete to win X Games gold, and the first woman to win three X Games medals as a rookie. Her 36-hour tear kicked off with a gold in Ski Slopestyle, which was followed by a bronze in Ski Big Air and a gold in Ski Super-pipe.

After her impressive debut at X Games 2021, Gu went on to earn Slopestyle gold, Halfpipe gold and Big Air bronze at the Aspen 2021 World Championships – all while dealing with a fractured finger and torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament she sustained to her thumb in practice.

This impressive feat made her the first freeskier to win two golds in a FIS Freeski World Championship.

Join Gu as she makes X Games history in episode two of Everyday Eileen:

Looking through Gu’s list of achievements and feats, it’s clear that she lives by this motto: “Everything I do, I want to do the best of my ability.”

After impressive performances through the 2021 season, she accepted the gold medals humbly – but two third-place showings in Freeski Big Air would light a fire inside.

Just 10 months later, Gu returned to snow and became the first woman ever to land a double cork 1440 while training for Beijing in Stubai, Austria, establishing herself as a legitimate force in the international freeski scene.

Watch Gu open her Stanford acceptance letter in episode one of Everyday Eileen:

Following a monumental season in 2021, American-born Eileen Gu drew international headlines ahead of Beijing 2022. Not for her sporting, academic, or fashion accomplishments, but rather, for her decision to represent China – her mother’s birthplace – at the Games.

Her motive: to inspire and promote the future of Chinese freeskiing and act as role model for Chinese and Chinese-American female athletes.

With the world watching, she let her skiing speak for itself. At Beijing 2022, Gu became the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing after winning gold medals in halfpipe and big air, as well as a silver medal in slopestyle. She would also became the first-ever freeskier to win three medals at a single Winter Olympics.

Ahead of any major freeski competition run, a commentator introduces a rider by reading a short biography. Most riders opt to highlight their athletic accomplishments; while some put forth unique stories of comeback and resilience.

But when Gu dropped in for her gold medal run at X Games 2024, the announcers highlighted her attendance at the prestigious Stanford University – calling it The Stanford Showdown and The Battle of Higher Education, proving her appeal reaches far beyond the world of freestyle skiing.

Gu’s academic achievements were discovered at an early age. She was inspired by her mother’s interests in sciences and went on to score a 1580 on the SAT, placing her in the USA’s top 99th percentile. This earned her early admittance to Stanford.

When Gu isn’t skiing or studying, she’s modelling for some of the world’s most recognisable brands.

Gu was first introduced to modelling at Paris Fashion Week in 2019, and since then she's become a regular in the fashion industry. From making her runway debut at Louis Vuitton’s 2023 Cruise show to starring on the cover of Vogue Hong Kong, China’s In Style Magazine and Singapore’s edition of Harper’s Bazaar, fashion has emerged as a pillar in Gu’s emerging career.

According to Gu, skiing and modelling have a lot of similarities.

“Both require a lot of confidence in yourself,” she says. “They both act as a vehicle for creative expression and personal style, and challenge me to step out of my comfort zone.”

Go behind the scenes of an Elle cover shoot in episode three of Everyday Eileen.

Following her first breakout seasons at the turn of decade, Gu suffered a serious knee injury ahead of X Games 2023 that forced her to put freeskiing on hold. She committed this time to academic development and modelling, as well as preparing for a full-scale comeback.

After 11 months out of action, Gu came out swinging with a flurry of World Cup podiums, including a gold at the Chinese and Canadian stops – enough to secure an early halfpipe crystal globe. This impressive feat was coupled with a second-place finish in Slopestyle at the Laax Open, gold at the US Grand Prix, as well as a double gold in Superpipe and Streetstyle at Dew Tour.

“Feeling as motivated and in love with skiing as ever,” said Gu after securing the win at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Copper Mountain. “Let’s keep it going.”

Gu’s return was solidified with a historic performance at X Games Aspen 2024. Linking together back-to-back cork 900s, a right-side 720 and an alley-oop flat spin, she earned a commanding first-place finish and continued the longest consecutive win streak in women’s halfpipe freeski history.

Returning from injury now stronger than ever, it’s safe to say that Gu has reclaimed her world champion status as she looks ahead to Milano Cortina 2026.

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