Who is Eileen Gu? Meet the Olympic freestyle skiing superstar who went viral for defending her silver medal wins.

Eileen Gu, China’s freestyle skiing superstar, is one of the most talked-about athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Olympian has made headlines throughout the Winter Games, whether it’s celebrating her performance on the slopes, highlighting her hefty paychecks, criticizing her allegiance to China or praising her now-viral response to a reporter.

Beyond the discourse surrounding her athletic career, Gu is also a student and a model. She takes pride in her multihyphenate status and hopes to encourage others to strive for the same.

“I’m a full-time student who’s really athletic,” Gu told Time magazine for a recent cover story. “I can have a conversation with a physicist and stand my ground, and I can also walk a runway show the next day. I think that is pretty revolutionary, especially as a young person. Because the whole multihyphenate thing often happens in different stages in life. It’s important to show young people that you don’t have to wait until you’re older. You can do it all now.”

Below, Yahoo has rounded up what to know about the five-time Olympic medalist who’s captured the world’s attention in Milan.

She’s received backlash for choosing to represent China over the USA

The controversy surrounding Gu’s decision to compete for China instead of the United States, where she was born and raised, has been mounting since her 2022 Olympics debut in Beijing. Gu, a San Francisco native, was born to a Chinese mother and said she wanted to represent China to both honor her heritage and increase the sport’s visibility in the country.

“In the U.S. growing up, I had so many idols to look up to,” she recently told the Athletic. “But in China I feel like there are a lot fewer of those. I’d have a much greater impact in China than in the U.S., and that’s ultimately why I made my decision.”

A Wall Street Journal story published last week reported that Gu was vetted by the Chinese government. She and Beverly Zhu, a fellow American-born figure skater, were reportedly offered a combined $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 for “striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.” Beijing’s sports bureau was set to pay Ghu and Zhu almost 100 million yuan, or $14 million, over the past three years, the outlet reported. Their names have since been removed from the public report.

Because she has already won two silver medals at this year’s Olympics, the backlash against Gu’s decision to compete for China recently hit a fever pitch. Even Vice President JD Vance has criticized the decorated freestyle skier.

But Gu is tired of the controversy. While chatting with the Athletic last week, the athlete claimed she was “physically assaulted on the street” at Stanford University in 2022 for not representing the United States.

“I’ve had death threats,” she said. “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 earned more than $23 million in 2025

Gu isn’t just an acclaimed freestyle skier — she’s one of the highest-paid female athletes in the world. She made $23.1 million last year, according to Forbes, earning roughly $100,000 for her performance on the slopes. The majority of Gu’s paychecks come from her lucrative endorsements with big-name brands like Red Bull, Porsche and TCL Electronics.

When she isn’t on the slopes, Gu can be found modeling. She signed with IMG Models in early 2021, just before her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. She’s modeled for several luxury houses and jewelry brands, including Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci and Victoria’s Secret.

“Fashion keeps me in touch with my femininity,” Gu told Vogue. “Growing up in a male-dominated sport, I didn’t realize being treated equally as a girl was even an option until I discovered the fashion industry. … I think you can be really powerful and really feminine at the same time.”

‘Two silvers gained or two golds lost’? Gu’s response to a reporter at the 2026 Winter Olympics goes viral

Gu earned two new silver medals in slopestyle and big air at the 2026 Winter Olympics, making her the most decorated female freestyle skier in Olympic history. At a press conference after her second-place finish in the freeski slopestyle final on Monday, she was asked by one reporter whether she views the outcome as “two silvers gained or two golds lost.” The Olympian laughed off the question.

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

She continued, “So, ‘the two medals lost’ situation, to be quite frank with you, I think is kind of a ridiculous perspective to take. I’m showcasing my best skiing. I’m doing things that quite literally have never been done before. And so I think that is more than good enough, but thank you.”

She’s not finished competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics

She has two silver medals already to her name — but Gu isn’t done yet. The freestyle skiing superstar has the opportunity to leave Milan with one more medal when she competes in the women’s halfpipe event. After making it through Thursday’s qualifying round, Gu will compete in the halfpipe final, which is set to take place on Saturday.