10 Photos of Eileen Gu: Olympic Star Set to Become Winter Games' Biggest Commercial Force

Eileen Gu is more than just a dominant force on the slopes; she is a global phenomenon. As the Olympic champion prepares for her next chapter, her influence is reaching far beyond the snow-capped peaks of the Winter Games. These ten images capture the ascent of an athlete destined to become the biggest commercial icon in winter sports history.

With exactly one month remaining until the Milan Cortina Games, Eileen Gu shared a snapshot of her world through a 'Day in my Life' Instagram video.

The freestyle skier, renowned for her skills on the snow and her digital reach, packed everything from morning dental hygiene to training runs and a doping control check into the 29-second reel. Racking up over a million views in short order, the post served as a clear reminder of her massive online appeal.

The $23 Million Woman

Eileen Gu climbed to the fourth spot on the list of top-earning female athletes in 2025, bringing in a staggering $23 million (£16.95 million). Sportico reports that her competitive prize money accounted for just $20,000 (£14739) of that total, with the rest coming almost entirely from brand partnerships. This massive gap highlights a new reality for Olympic stars: in the modern era, a strong digital brand and lucrative sponsorships are far more valuable than traditional competition earnings.

The environment for Olympic competitors has fundamentally shifted, according to Doug Shabelman, CEO of Burns Entertainment. He noted that any athlete can now build an influencer brand, regardless of their on-field results. This change means that an athlete's commercial appeal is no longer tied strictly to winning gold; it now lasts year-round.

By choosing to compete for China—her mother's birthplace—rather than the saturated US market, Gu made a move that significantly boosted her commercial prospects. Tapping into a nation of 1.4 billion people has likely opened doors to sponsorship opportunities that would be much harder to secure elsewhere. Her trajectory shows how strategic national representation can transform an athlete's financial scale.

The Story of Eileen Gu

Born in San Francisco on 3 September 2003, the Chinese-American freestyle skier is celebrated in China as Gu Ailing. Growing up in the Bay Area with her Chinese mother, she spent many summers training in Beijing, fostering a lifelong bond with the city. In 2019, at 15, she chose to compete for China on the world stage. Her goal was twofold: to inspire young girls in the region to take up winter sports and to tap into a massive, emerging market.

Her talent on the snow was immediate and undeniable. Gu etched her name into the record books at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, becoming the first freestyle skier to secure three medals at one Games. This haul included gold in both big air and halfpipe, alongside a slopestyle silver. As the youngest champion in her discipline's history, she pushed the sport's boundaries by landing technical feats like the forward double cork 1440.

From the Halfpipe to the High-Fashion Runway

Away from the slopes, Gu manages a demanding schedule that blends high-fashion modelling with elite academics. While studying international relations at Stanford University, she has built a career at top agencies, including IMG. Her influence in the fashion world is equally impressive, featuring runway walks for brands like Louis Vuitton and Victoria's Secret, as well as numerous international magazine covers.

Rick Burton, a sports management professor at Syracuse University and former US Olympic Committee marketing chief, noted in an interview that Gu possesses a rare 'global appeal' for a Chinese athlete. He highlighted her unique position, stating she 'checks all the marketability boxes' as a young, dynamic champion with 'cross-cultural appeal'.

Targeting Gold in Milano Cortina

Following a brief hiatus for her studies and physical recovery, Gu has returned to the slopes with renewed intensity. Her victory in the slopestyle event at the Laax Open in early 2026 signalled a formidable return to form, with the athlete sharing that she has truly rediscovered her passion for competing.

In Milano Cortina, she is set to challenge for the podium in all three freestyle disciplines: slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe. With qualifying for the slopestyle beginning on 7 February, Gu is a major medal contender across the board, determined to expand her Olympic collection while uniting a global audience.

With her unique combination of technical mastery, charismatic personality, and international influence, Eileen Gu enters the 2026 Games as the most commercially powerful figure in winter sports.