Winter Olympics 2026 Olympics Eileen Gu quickly pivots back to her ‘other job’ as glamorous model after whirldwind Olympics By Jenna Lemoncelli Published Feb. 25, 2026, 2:10 p.m. ET Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu stayed in Milan after the 2026 Winter Games ended Sunday to attend Milan Fashion Week, which runs Feb. 24 through March 2.
The model, who secured two silvers and a gold at the Winter Olympics, gushed over her “other job” and shared her plans while in Italy’s style capital.
“It’s fashion week in Milan. I have the other job, the other fashion thing,” Gu said of her plans after the Olympics in an interview with France24.
Eileen Gu is seen on February 25, 2026 in Milan, Italy. GC Images “I’m really excited to just explore some other avenues, be creative, and explore my femininity through fashion, which is something I’ve always loved, and to kind of put that in juxtaposition with skiing and with sports.
“And I think they co-exist so beautifully and, so, I hope to represent that next week in Milan.”
The 22-year-old has been a lightning-rod of controversy over her decision to represent China at the Olympics, despite growing up in northern California and attending Stanford University.
Gu now has three silvers and three golds between her two Olympics, plus a record 20 World Cup wins, and is already the most decorated freestyle skier.
“Right now, I’m young, I’m energetic,” she said. “My body is like physically as capable as it can be compared to, you know, 30 years down the line.
View this post on Instagram “So it makes the most sense for me to do that through the avenues that I’m exploring now, fashion, sport, and skiing.”
Wasting no time, Gu hit the streets of Milan donning a silk white gown and leather jacket Wednesday.
Eileen Gu celebrates on the podium with her three olympic medals after winning the freestyle skiing women’s freeski halfpipe final at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games at Livigno Snow Park on February 22, 2026. AFP via Getty Images Gu, who is signed with agency IMG, modeled in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2025 issue.
She’s also modeled for Louis Vuitton, Victoria’s Secret, Fendi, Gucci, and Tiffany & Co. — and appeared on the covers of the Chinese editions of Cosmopolitan, Elle, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue.
In an interview published last week, Gu told The Athletic that she was “physically assaulted,” robbed and received death threats on her college campus, Stanford University, over her controversial 2019 decision to represent her mother’s native China in the Olympics.
The American athlete alleged she was attacked on the street at the age of 15 for her decision to leave the United States and not compete for her home country during the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
