Who Is Eileen Gu? The Olympic free skier who went viral for her clapback at a reporter

“The ‘two medals lost’ situation, to be quite frank with you, is kind of a ridiculous perspective to take.”

That was the mic-drop moment heard around the world, when 22-year-old freestyle skier Eileen Gu responded to AFP reporter John Weaver’s question about whether she saw her recent Olympic performance as “two silvers gained or two golds lost”.

The Olympian has since gone viral for her clapback.

“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history,” Gu chuckled. “I think that’s an answer in and of itself.”

“How do I say this? Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete. Doing it five times is exponentially harder because every medal is equally hard for me — but everybody else’s expectations rise.”

But this isn’t the first time Eileen Gu has made shockwaves across the internet, including with her controversial decision to represent China over the United States. So who is she outside the sporting world?

1. She started skiing at the age of three

Eileen Gu Ailing was born on September 3, 2003, in San Francisco, California. She was raised by her single mother, Gu Yan, a Shanghai-born, first-generation Chinese immigrant to the United States. Not much is publicly known about her father, other than that he is American.

Eileen started skiing at the age of three in Lake Tahoe, where her mother once worked as a part-time ski instructor. She later joined the Northstar California Resort freeski team at eight and won her first national championship at nine. She has since gone on to become the youngest-ever Olympic freestyle skiing champion at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

2. She represents China as an athlete

Although Eileen was born and raised in San Francisco to an American father, she chose to compete for China — her mother’s homeland. The decision sparked widespread debate when she announced it in June 2019, having previously represented the United States.

It has been alleged that her mother, whose parents were former government engineers in Shanghai, arranged for Eileen to attend a rare meeting of winter sports athletes with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019.

Since then, Gu has been repeatedly questioned about her nationality and her decision to represent China.

In a 2021 interview with ESPN, Gu said that although she grew up in America, she identifies as both American and Chinese. She also shared that she spends 25 to 30 per cent of each year in China and is fluent in both English and Mandarin.

“Since I was little, I’ve always said when I’m in the U.S., I’m American, but when I’m in China, I’m Chinese,” Gu told ESPN.com in 2020. “I preserve it by having friends and being able to communicate with people because that’s the best way to transmit culture.”

3. She’s currently studying at Stanford University

In December 2020, she earned early admission to Stanford University — her mother’s alma mater — and entered the freshman class in 2022, majoring in International Relations.

However, this too has been mired in controversy. In a recent interview with The Athletic, the star athlete claimed she was “physically assaulted on the street” while on campus at Stanford and had to call the police. She attributed the incident to backlash over her decision to represent China at the Olympics.

“I’ve had death threats,” she added. “I’ve had my dorm robbed. I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever.”

She took time off during the 2025–26 academic year to prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

4. She’s the most decorated female freeskier in history

Dubbed the “Snow Princess” by her Chinese fans, at just 22 years old, Eileen’s recent statement that she is “the most decorated female freeskier in history” isn’t obnoxious — it’s a fact.

She became the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing after winning gold medals in big air and halfpipe, along with a silver medal in slopestyle, at her Winter Olympics debut in Beijing in 2022. In doing so, she became the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a single Winter Olympics.

Ahead of the 2026 games, she shared with Reuters, “I’ve won more World Cups than any freeskier ever, male or female. I am currently tied for most Olympic medals … Before, I think, I was doing what I knew how to do; now I’m doing what I want to do.”

She has since gone on to win two more silver medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, bringing her total Olympic medal tally to five.

Beyond the Olympics, she has also competed in the Winter X Games and the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships.

Time named Eileen one of the 100 most influential people in the world in both 2022 and she most recently fronted their cover in Feb 2026.

5. She’s among the top five highest-paid female athletes in the world

Since her Olympic victories, Eileen’s earnings have seen a meteoric rise. In 2025, she was ranked the fourth highest-paid female athlete in the world, with reported earnings of up to US$23 million.

According to Forbes, only about US$100,000 of that total comes from competition winnings. The bulk of her income is driven by endorsements, thanks to partnerships with luxury and global brands including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Red Bull, Porsche, IWC Schaffhausen and more.

Her fluency in Mandarin and decision to represent China have also given her significant access to the Chinese market. She has secured ambassadorships with major Chinese brands such as Mengniu Dairy, Luckin Coffee, JD.com, China Mobile, People’s Insurance Company of China, Bank of China, Anta Sports and Bosideng.

6. She’s currently signed to IMG Models

Eileen’s close ties to luxury fashion are also bolstered by her representation by IMG Models in the United States. Her model-like looks have made her a natural fit for high fashion houses — she has served as a Louis Vuitton ambassador and walked the runway at the brand’s Spring/Summer 2023 show. She is also a founding member of Victoria’s Secret’s VS Collective.
Beyond brand campaigns, she regularly appears on the covers of leading global fashion magazines, including Vogue, L’Officiel, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, T Magazine and Wonderland.

7. She has been rumoured to be dating Chinese crypto billionaire Justin Sun

While there is no publicly available information about Eileen’s personal life, speculation surfaced on February 1, 2026, when a woman posting on X under her real name, Zeng Ying, and the handle “Ten Ten”, made claims that she had previously dated Chinese-born Kittitian crypto billionaire and businessman Justin Sun. In a series of posts, she accused him of financial crimes, abuse and other serious misconduct.

She also alleged that he had boasted about dating a well-known athlete, prompting online speculation that she may have been referring to Eileen Gu. Neither Eileen Gu nor Justin Sun has publicly confirmed any romantic relationship. Eileen has also not been publicly asked to comment on the allegations to date.