Eileen Gu Set to Make Olympic History Again at Milan Cortina 2026
Freestyle skiing’s brightest star is preparing for another potential medal haul at the upcoming Winter Olympics. Eileen Gu, the American-born athlete competing for China, is widely predicted to represent the nation at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, where she aims to defend her titles and add to her historic Olympic legacy.
Gu’s meteoric rise in freestyle skiing has been nothing short of extraordinary. At just 18 years old during her Olympic debut in Beijing 2022, she became the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing history, capturing gold in both big air and halfpipe while claiming silver in slopestyle. Her three-medal performance made her the first athlete ever to win three freestyle skiing medals at a single Winter Olympics.
“Her impact on freeskiing is immeasurable,” according to Olympic officials tracking her career trajectory. Since Beijing, Gu has dominated the World Cup circuit, compiling 10 wins in just 12 appearances with two runner-up finishes, cementing her status as the athlete to beat whenever she takes to the slopes.
Recovery and 2026 Preparation
Despite recovering from a 2025 training injury, Gu remains barring any setbacks “a predicted lock” to compete for China in Milan Cortina. She has primarily focused on halfpipe competitions since the 2022 Olympics, where she has looked “indomitable,” making her an early favorite to defend her gold medal. At the 2024 X Games, she demonstrated her resolve by winning superpipe gold despite competing through a hip injury.
The qualification period for freeskiing remains ongoing, but Gu’s track record suggests she will have multiple opportunities to make history once again. Multiple factors, including her ongoing injury recovery, could influence which events she ultimately enters at the 2026 Games.
Building on Legacy
Beyond Olympic glory, Gu has reshaped women’s freeskiing on the world stage. Her signature tricks—including being the first woman to land a double cork 1440 in competition and subsequently landing a double cork 1620 on her first-ever Olympic attempt—have pushed the physical limits of the sport. Forbes valued her at $22.1 million in 2024, ranking her as the third-highest-paid female athlete globally.
In China, her success has sparked a recent surge in skiing popularity, transforming her into a global ambassador for the sport. If Gu competes in all three freeskiing events at Milan Cortina, another history-making effort is certainly possible, potentially cementing her status as one of Winter Olympics’ greatest champions.
