The charismatic San Francisco native continued her streak in Livigno's snowpark, building on her triumphs from Beijing four years ago, where she claimed two golds and a silver across three freestyle events. This time, she reversed her medal tally—after finishing second in slopestyle and Big Air, she dominated the halfpipe final to close out the Games.
In her best-scored third run, she soared about four meters above the edge of the wide snowy channel six times, spinning multiple times each jump, and landed every trick flawlessly.
For her nearly perfect performance, the judges awarded her 94.75 out of 100 points, securing her Olympic gold once again. Yet, much of the American public wasn't exactly celebrating her victory. Quite the opposite.
At fifteen, Eileen decided to represent her mother's homeland, China, and since then, the conservative segment of the United States has refused to accept her.
"I think someone who grew up in the USA, who benefited from our education system and the freedoms and rights that make this country so great, should want to represent the USA as well," said U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance to FOX News.
Wondering why one of America's most powerful men felt compelled to comment on a sport that remains relatively minor at the Olympics? If you don't know Eileen's story, the answer might surprise you.
The 22-year-old freestyler is one of the biggest celebrities of the Italian Olympics. According to Forbes magazine, she's actually the highest-earning participant of the recently concluded Games. She outpaced hockey stars Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, and even Lindsey Vonn is far behind her.
According to Forbes, Gu earned $23.1 million last year, making her the fourth highest-paid female athlete in the world. In the prestigious ranking, she trailed only tennis stars Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Świątek.
American skiing icon Vonn lagged behind the Chinese snow princess by a staggering $15 million in the latest ranking. Gu earned just $100,000 in prize money last year—the rest came from outside the snowparks.
Model on Skis
The young skier fully leverages her marketing potential. She has become a key face for major brands in both China and the U.S., helping them connect with the younger generation. She's a phenomenon with few equals in women's sports worldwide.
Besides her tremendous success on the slopes and partnerships with top global brands like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Porsche, and Red Bull, she's also a model with the prestigious IMG agency and a student of international relations at Stanford University.
"She's an athlete born once in a generation. She walks the biggest runways, wins Olympic medals, and studies at Stanford. That's not normal," legendary snowboarder Shaun White said in praise of the Chinese-American star.
The story of this charismatic skier is anything but ordinary. "She definitely has the craziest life of all of us," confirmed her biggest rival in Livigno, Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland.
And she wasn't just referring to sporting achievements. Ironically, those are the most "normal" things about the talented skier.
When Gu decided at fifteen to represent China instead of her native America, her name instantly became a political issue. In the U.S., she was branded a traitor who chose to represent a communist regime for money, while in Asia, the fifteen-year-old was welcomed as a future national hero.
And after the "home" Olympics in Beijing, she truly became one.
"I never wanted to be famous. I wanted kids in China to have someone to look up to, just like I had my idols growing up in America. Money wasn't a factor in my decision—I simply wanted to bring the sport closer to young girls," she explained.
Seven years later, despite growing criticism from current American elites, she doesn't regret her choice. Sport has opened doors to places she likely would never have reached otherwise. Thanks to her change of citizenship, she's not tied down to it either.
If she decided to retire from top-level skiing, it wouldn't threaten her future. But her love for the slopes and big jumps won't let her quit. "I love it. I could just sit at home and do nothing, but I was born to jump on skis. That's me in my purest form," she revealed.
Where else could she forget about hateful comments? When you're flying ten meters above the ground, head down, there's not much room to worry about everyday problems. That's where one of the most-watched women of the recently finished Olympics finds her freedom.
