Eileen Gu: US freestyle skier representing China at the Winter Olympics 2026

One of the biggest names in American skiing is one of constant conversation as they do not actually represent the US on the Olympic stage.

Born and raised in San Francisco, 22-year-old freestyle skiing sensation Eileen Gu is a double-Olympic champion - for China.

Gu’s citizenship has been a contentious talking point due to her being born and living on the West Coast of America but choosing to represent China - where her mother is from - at the Olympics.

Her reasoning behind this is that she wants to help make her sport more mainstream in China and that the US “already has the representation," she told Time Magazine.

Gu announced the decision via Instagram in 2019 and it wasn’t too long before detractors gave their thoughts on the situation, with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson labelling the then 15-year-old “dumb”.

Four years ago, in 2022, Gu made history after becoming the first action-sports athlete to win three medals at one Olympics — gold in halfpipe and big air and a silver in slopestyle.

Gu is also the all-time leader in free-skiing World Cup wins and will be hoping to - and is expected to - rack up a number of medals again in Milan in February.

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Gu will be participating in the women’s slopestyle, big air and halfpipe in Milan. These events run for the majority of the Winter Olympics, from February 7 to February 21.

February 4: Competition begins (curling)

February 6: Opening ceremony

February 7: First gold medal events

February 8: Gold medal, women’s Alpine skiing downhill

February 13: Gold medal, men’s figure skating

February 18: Gold medal, women’s Alpine skiing slalom

February 19: Gold medal, women’s figure skating. Gold medal game, women’s ice hockey. First gold medals in ski mountaineering, a new Olympic sport

February 22: Gold medal game, men’s ice hockey. Closing ceremony

Additional reporting by AP