Olympics Sends Message to Eileen Gu After Career Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 6:54 AM ET

Eileen Gu of the People’s Republic of China is one of the biggest stars in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. In addition to being one of the most successful freestyle skiers in the world, the 22-year-old has one of the largest social media followings among athletes at the Winter Games. Gu has a staggering 2.3 million followers on Instagram alone.

On top of that, Gu is also the highest-earning athlete in the Olympics. According to Forbes, the American-born star pocketed a whopping $23 million over the past year. Most of Gu’s earnings come from her endorsement deals with big brands such as Anta and IWC.

Silver medalist Ailing Eileen Gu of the People's Republic of China celebrates during the medal ceremony for the women's big air final during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Gu has lived up to all the hype surrounding her celebrity status. She proved that she is still one of the most dominant figures in freestyle skiing by winning two medals in her first two events.

Gu won her first medal in the 2026 Games after her second-place finish in the slopestyle final. She followed that up with a second silver medal in the big air competition on Monday.

With her two medals in this year’s Games, Gu now has five Olympic medals in her collection. On Monday, it was announced that Gu is now the most decorated female freestyle skier in Winter Olympic history.

Gu flexed her career milestone on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

Congratulations have been pouring in for Gu after her latest historic feat. The Olympics jumped on the comments section of her post to send its own congratulatory message.

“Thank YOU! Congratulations, Eileen! ,” the Olympics posted.

Gu’s Olympic run is not yet over. She is also competing in the halfpipe, her preferred discipline. Gu can make even more history by becoming the first-ever six-time Olympic medalist in women’s freestyle skiing.

The qualifying round for the halfpipe competition is scheduled on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. ET. If she does well in the qualifiers, Gu will compete for another medal in the final on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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