Olympian Eileen Gu's Swimsuit Photo Sent Fans Into A Frenzy

The 22-year-old freestyle skier has turned heads both on and off the slopes during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Eileen Gu, a 22-year-old freestyle skier representing China at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milana Cortina, has captured attention not only for her athletic achievements but also for her modeling work with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. Gu, who was born and raised in San Francisco but has family ties to China, recently won a silver medal in the women's freeski slopestyle event despite facing injuries and challenges in the lead-up to the Games.

Why it matters

Gu's dual career as an Olympic athlete and SI Swimsuit model highlights the growing prominence of female athletes in traditionally male-dominated sports like freestyle skiing. Her story also touches on themes of identity, representation, and the evolving role of women in sports.

The details

Gu, who was born in San Francisco but represents China due to her family's upbringing, captured a silver medal in the women's freeski slopestyle event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She finished just 0.38 points behind gold medalist Mathilde Gremaud. Gu opened up about the challenges she has faced, including a severe concussion and seizures a year ago that had people concerned about her ability to compete. Despite these obstacles, Gu was able to deliver her best slopestyle performance to date.

  • Gu was part of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit rookie class in May 2025.
  • Gu captured the silver medal in women's freeski slopestyle on Monday, February 10, 2026.

The players

Eileen Gu

A 22-year-old freestyle skier representing China at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milana Cortina. Gu was born and raised in San Francisco, California but has family ties to China.

Yan Gu

Eileen Gu's mother, who is a first-generation immigrant to the United States.

Mathilde Gremaud

The gold medalist in the women's freeski slopestyle event at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

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What they’re saying

“The last four years have been challenging, to say the least. I've dealt with a number of injuries. A year ago, I had the worst concussion I've ever experienced. I had seizures afterwards. There were people concerned [whether] I'm going to wake up.”

— Eileen Gu (Olympics.com)

“Free skiing is a very male-dominated sport. I think the first time that I had girls on my team, I was around 14 or 15 [...] so I definitely felt as though I stuck out a little bit. I think I was definitely trying to mask myself and trying to fit in and be more accepted. I wanted to look like the other people in the industry, and for the most part, those were boys. So, I think reconciling with my femininity-particularly when I turned 14,15 and started working in fashion more-was a pivotal step of my development.”

— Eileen Gu (Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)

What’s next

Gu still has the big air and halfpipe events on her schedule at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She captured gold medals in both competitions during the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

The takeaway

Eileen Gu's dual career as an Olympic athlete and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model highlights the growing prominence of female athletes in traditionally male-dominated sports, as well as the evolving role of women in sports and the importance of representation and identity.