Eileen Gu is proving that her talents extend far beyond the halfpipe. The Olympic freestyle skier has just landed the prestigious June cover of Harper's Bazaar, adding another glittering achievement to her already remarkable year.
Gu, who turned heads at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan with a gold in the halfpipe and silvers in big air and slopestyle, is no stranger to the spotlight. At just 22, the San Francisco native now boasts six Olympic medals—a feat she achieved while shouldering immense expectations from fans and critics alike.
“Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete,” Gu told a reporter who questioned whether her silver medals should be seen as a disappointment. “Doing it five times is exponentially harder because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else’s expectations rise, right? And 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.”
Her Harper’s Bazaar cover, released earlier this week, sparked an immediate wave of excitement. NASCAR driver Toni Breidinger commented, “You’re unreal,” while fans flooded social media with praise. One admirer wrote, “Oh my gooooooooood, wow, this is art, you are magnificent.”
This latest modeling milestone is just one of many for Gu. Following her stellar Olympic performance, she made appearances at Milan Fashion Week. And just a year ago, she debuted with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit as part of a rookie class that included Cameron Brink, Nelly Korda, and Gabby Thomas. During that shoot, Gu reflected on her journey, saying, “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. I think I was definitely trying to mask myself and trying to fit in and be more accepted. I wanted to look like the other people in the industry, and for the most part, those were boys. So, I think reconciling with my femininity—particularly when I turned 14,15 and started working in fashion more—was a pivotal step of my development.”
Gu’s ability to seamlessly transition from the slopes to the runway is reminiscent of other athletes who have crossed over into fashion, such as Olympic star Chloe Kim. While Gu is technically in offseason mode, she shows no signs of slowing down. Whether she's skiing or striking a pose, Eileen Gu continues to redefine what it means to be a modern athlete.
