Eileen Gu, the trailblazing freestyle skier and Olympic champion, has added another groundbreaking achievement to her resume—appearing on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Gu, 21, rose to international prominence after winning three medals at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, becoming the youngest-ever Olympic champion in women’s freestyle skiing at just 18. She clinched gold in both the big air and halfpipe events and earned silver in slopestyle, competing for China, her mother’s homeland.
Now a physics major at Stanford University, Gu continues to defy expectations—this time, outside of sports. Her debut on the SI Swimsuit cover marks a new chapter in her journey as both an athlete and cultural figure. The photoshoot, captured by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton in Florida, features Gu in designs by Always on Holiday.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Bailey Colon, Gu reflected on the challenges of being a female athlete in a male-dominated sport. “Free skiing is a very male-dominated sport,” she said. “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.”
She shared how her early years in sports involved trying to fit into a predominantly male environment. “I was definitely trying to mask myself and be more accepted. I wanted to look like the other people in the industry—and for the most part, those were boys,” she said. “Reconciling with my femininity, particularly when I started working in fashion, was a pivotal step in my development.”
Gu has since become a global icon, not just in skiing but also in fashion and media. In 2023, she was ranked the second-highest-earning female athlete in the world by Forbes, with reported earnings of $22.1 million, second only to Polish tennis star Iga Świątek. She also earned a spot on Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in 2022.
Looking ahead, Gu has confirmed her plans to return to Olympic competition. In January 2024, she announced she would again represent China at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
As women’s freestyle skiing continues to evolve, Gu remains focused on her role in shaping its future. “The progression of women’s skiing has just been skyrocketing over the last five or ten years,” she said. “It has been so inspiring to first watch it and now be a part of it. It has made me think deeply about the legacy I want to leave in this sport.”
From Olympic gold to magazine covers, Eileen Gu continues to redefine what’s possible for the next generation of athletes.